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BASIN – South Big Horn County Hospital Board Chair Jeff Grant addressed a petition that requests the immediate resignation of board members Grant, Sue Antley and Mitch Shelhamer.

Grant addressed the pitition at the board’s regular meeting Wednesday.

Board member Margie Triplett and two community members also issued their own statements.

The petition circulating online and in paper form states: “We, the undersigned, being electors of the board of Directors of the South Big Horn County Hospital District Board hereby petition that the following board members resign from their board position(s) due to no confidence in their ability to govern in the best interests of the special hospital district and the community. We ask that Jeff Grant, Sue Antley and Mitch Shellhammer (sic) resign immediately from their term(s) of office in the best interest of the community. Should they refuse to voluntarily resign, we ask that the State Attorney General remove them from their positions due to lack of moral turpitude.”

Reading a statement prepared by all three named board members, Grant stated that the petition was ridiculous for a number of reasons. He stated that the petition was an on-going campaign by a small group of people to attack a few individuals for personal reasons, that the petition has no legal standing in Wyoming and that the promoters of the petition, who have remained anonymous had misled signers by stating that the petition was to save the hospital, which doesn’t need to be saved and in fact is being harmed by the petition.

He also thanked the petition writer(s) for stating that the three board members showed a lack of moral turpitude explaining that the definition of moral turpitude is an act or behavior that gravely violates the sentiment or accepted standard of the community.

Grant went on to explain that South Big Horn County Hospital District is seeing more patients and is financially sound using facts.

— The census in the hospital is higher than it has ever been.

— The clinic is as busy as it has ever been, with a new service that began in January, OB/GYN and others like this being started soon.

— The nursing home is a bit below goal with 27 residents instead of the target 30 residents.

— Operating profits exceeding the year to date budget by 13 percent.

The prepared statement asked community members to keep an open mind and to consider the following: “To believe the fake news that’s being spread, one must believe that multiple people have colluded to wantonly terminate (or force out) employees for no reason at all, in a place where hiring qualified people for some positions is very hard. We know that the promoters of the disinformation campaign think they know everything and every detail about the events of the past two years, but is it possible that there are things you don’t know? And is it possible that you’ve been misled about the details of events that have occurred or that certain critical details of these events have been withheld from you? And is it possible that former employee(s) did things that they shouldn’t have done or refused to do things that they should have done, and they, therefore, have chosen to leave those important details out of their story to you? Is it possible that there’s more to all of this that you don’t/ can’t know? We’re simply asking that you use your common sense and consider what is possible.”

Grant added that the three named members fully support South Big Horn County Hospital District CEO John Adlesich while the two other board members don’t, but majority rules.

Board member Margie Triplett also read a prepared statement stating that while she has had nothing to do with the petition, she supported it. She explained that she felt that decisions were being made by the three named parties and Adlesich outside of a public meeting which is a violation of Wyoming law. “Our board chairman and the CEO have, independently from the board, made decisions that they have then cultivated the agreement of the other two board members, so that when we actually have a meeting, the decision has been previously made. Accordingly, I hear of things through the grapevine, rather than at meetings,” Triplett said. “For example, a meeting with three board members 30 minutes prior to July board meeting, where actions were being discussed against a former employee. A statement was said to me, ‘How did you find us?’ No attempt to end the meeting was made at that time. There are many of these sorts of behind the scenes decision making that have been going on, and according to Wyoming statute, this is a violation of law,” she added.

Community member Tim Mills stated to the board, “The three members mentioned in the petition have ignored the red flags and are driven by a stubborn refusal to address problems, which has resulted into detriment to our health facility and ambulance services. The dissension created by him [Aldesich] and certain board members equals dollars. Dollars not being filtered through this facility. A poor environment for patients and residents of the nursing home. The public is not the problem. You are. Fix it. Now.” He also added that the dismissal of Joe Yarborough and Amy Baugh should be investigated by someone other than the board, maybe the Department of Health.

Community member Jack Noyes stated that recently when he visited the emergency room, he received some of the best care that he ever had but that he couldn’t understand how the three named board members had made so many enemies in such a short period of time. He added that he has used the facility for a lot of years and will continue to do so but that someone needs to get a handle of things.

Grant stated that despite the petition no one was going to resign. “Since none of us are leaving, the disinformation campaign is a waste of everyone’s time and accomplishes nothing except doing damage to the very thing they claim to be trying to protect,” Grant said.

Grant’s and Antley’s four-year seats and Shelhamer’s two-year seat will be on the ballot this fall in the general election.

“So, if someone thinks they have something to contribute to South Big Horn County Hospital District, they should consider running this fall for one of the three open seats on the board,” Grant said.