Howard Memorial Board Meets For June

During Tuesday evening’s meeting, Howard Memorial Hospital CFO Bill Craig informed the board of directors that efforts have been made to secure stimulus funding for the facility.

CEO Debra Wright informed the board that she would like to convert eight rooms to negative pressure airflow on the East Wing so the entire wing can be used for both COVID patients and possible COVID patients pending results as well as other patient admissions to assure the environmental safety of these rooms. Wright said this would prevent the re-circulation of air from within the rooms through the HVAC system. She stated currently only the isolation room on the East Wing has negative pressure. Wright said the hospital is limited to only using the West Wing for other admissions and that it has been challenging since there are only ten beds on that wing.

Board members voted to approve Wright’s request.

Wright stated several staff members participated in a strategic planning retreat and most of the discussion centered around future competition due to the construction of a new hospital in De Queen.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, board members voted to reappoint Dr. Brent Bennett and to accept the resignation of Dr. John Rayburn.

The 2021 Strategic Plan and Goals was presented to the board and approved.