Wanda Foster Assumes Leadership in Short-Term
The McDonough District Hospital (MDH) Board of Directors held a special meeting July 8 where they voted to appoint retired Chief Nursing Officer Wanda Foster, who was a member of the MDH Board of Directors, as the transitional interim CEO while the Board and search committee seeks a longer-term interim CEO. The Board also accepted Foster's resignation from the Board of Directors.
Foster served as the vice president of nursing/Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for 20 years, until her 2024 retirement. Over the years, she also served as a director of outreach services, director of home health and hospice, relief night house supervisor, staff RN and Certified Nurses Aide. Foster joined the MDH staff in 1980, and began her career in nursing in May 1982 after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bradley University in Peoria. Foster earned her Master of Science in Community Health Education at Western Illinois University in 1997. In 2010, she was named a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders.
The Board was expected to vote at a special meeting July 13 to vote on the terms of Foster's contract, as well as to take action on hiring a search firm to find a permanent CEO, and to possibly vote on the final separation agreement with outgoing CEO Bill Murdock, whose last day in the office is Friday. Watch the Friday, July 17 edition of The Community News Brief for more details on action taken at Monday's MDH Board of Directors meeting.
A candidate interviewed with the Board on June 29 for the interim role; however, he withdrew from consideration, according to Board Chair Dan O'Neil. At the July 8 Board of Directors meeting, Board Member JoEllen Pensinger, who is chairing the search committee, said the interviews for a longer-term interim will continue, which is why Foster's appointment is considered 'transitional interim.'
The search committee for a new CEO includes hospital employees Brittany Doll and Dr. Jeff Sparks; Dr. Amy Waschul; MDH Finance Committee Member Todd Lester; MDH Board Member Seth Minter; and retired longtime MDH CEO/President Steve Hopper.
The Rest of the Story: Board 'Backdates' Vote in Open Meeting At the May 18 Board of Directors meeting, members voted to part ways with CEO Bill Murdock in 60 days, and for the immediate termination of Chief Nursing Officer Wayne Laramie. However, at that meeting, the Board of Directors discussed the moves in a closed session and voted on the actions, in a motion that did not reveal the details of the discussion or decision, upon returning to open session. A press release was issued the next day by the hospital about the decisions made in closed session.
The Community News Brief has requested a review from the Public Access Counselor in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General to determine if the hospital's board violated the Open Meetings Act by not voting openly on the decisions to terminate Laramie and Murdock in open session, and allow for further discussion on the matters.
Following the closed session at the Wednesday, July 8 meeting, Chair O'Neil called the meeting back into to open session, and two motions were formally made, which were described after the meeting as 'backdating' the votes that were taken May 18: to allow CEO Bill Murdock to terminate Chief Nursing Officer Wayne Laramie, and to terminate, without cause, CEO Bill Murdock. The Board voted unanimously on Laramie's discharge; Board Member Jere Greuel cast the lone 'no' vote on Murdock's departure.
The Who, What, When Murdock was named as the permanent CEO in May 2024 after serving as the interim CEO/president when then-CEO Brian Dietz was ousted in December 2023 after reaching a mutual separation agreement, totaling $325,000. Before being named interim CEO in January 2024, Murdock had served as the hospital's Chief Financial Officer since April 2019.
Laramie joined MDH's administrative team in April 2025, after serving as the CNO at OSF St. Anthony's in Rockford for four years. Laramie's contract was terminated effective May 19. On May 21, Melissa Onion, BSN, RN, CLC has been appointed as interim Chief Nursing Officer.
Onion, who has served as director of obstetrics at MDH since 2018, joined MDH as a registered nurse in obstetrics. She was named obstetrical clinical care coordinator in 2021, and the director of obstetrics in 2022. According to a press release from MDH's Public Relations Office, over the past four years, Onion has overseen clinical operations, staffing, quality initiatives and patient care services within the OB department.
