Board Recommends Hiring Firm to Find Next MDH CEO
The 'transitional' part of the job title has been removed from the interim CEO designation for Wanda Foster, who has been named the interim Chief Executive Officer of McDonough District Hospital (MDH), effective July 18, until a permanent CEO is selected. Outgoing CEO Bill Murdock's final day is July 17. The separation agreement between Murdock and MDH has not yet been released.
The MDH Board of Directors held another special meeting July 13 where they voted unanimously to appoint the retired vice president of nursing/Chief Nursing Officer as the interim at a salary of $33,000/month. Her contract is renewable every 30 days, according to Board Chair Dan O'Neill.
The Board also approved the recommendation of hiring the search firm, Buffkin/Baker LLC of Kansas City, MO, to begin looking for the hospital's next CEO. At last week's special Board meeting, the Board appointed Foster 'transitional interim' while a longer-term interim search continued; however, after Foster accepted the position, the Board members decided to stop the search for an interim. The CEO search is expected to take six to nine months.
'Wanda is what's best for the hospital during this time of transition. She's been here a long time and her heart and her mind are in the right place,' O'Neill told the media. 'She already has presented a list of items to begin working on, and she will move the hospital forward. Wanda is very well-respected by hospital employees, and she'll hit the ground running.'
Foster retired in October 2023 after a 43-year career at MDH, including serving as the vice president of nursing/Chief Nursing Officer for 20 years. She joined the MDH staff in 1980 as a Certified Nurses Aide while attending nursing school at Bradley University. Foster began her career in nursing in May 1982 after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She later obtained a Master of Science in Community Health Education at Western Illinois University in 1997.
'I believe so strongly in the hospital and the organization. I am pleased to have the opportunity to add my expertise and guidance during this transition,' Foster said after the meeting. 'I've dedicated my career to this hospital and I've come up through the ranks. I worked closely with Bill previously, and I admire his leadership. I learned a lot from him when I was CNO and he was the Chief Finance Officer.'
Foster said her first order of business will be to meet with the hospital's senior leadership team in order to put together a collective list of priorities to move the hospital ahead. She also stressed the revenue cycle is a top concern, and it's her plan to make the hospital a stronger place moving forward.
'MDH is dedicated to care and compassion, and we have an excellent medical staff,' she concluded. 'We will continue to be the beacon of quality healthcare.'
A Search for the Next CEO
The search committee for a new CEO, which is chaired by MDH Board Member JoEllen Pensinger, and includes hospital employees Brittany Doll and Dr. Jeff Sparks; Dr. Amy Waschull; MDH Finance Committee Member Todd Lester; MDH Board Member Seth Minter; and retired longtime MDH CEO/President Steve Hopper, will begin working with Buffkin/Baker, LLC to begin the search the hospital's next leader.
Before the vote to recommend the Kansas City, MO firm, Pensinger told the Board of Directors that the committee looked at several search firms and conducted numerous phone interviews. The list was narrowed to two, and Buffkin/Baker, which is considered a 'boutique search firm,' came out ahead.
The Board unanimously recommended hiring the company, with the provision that some amendments to the contract, which includes a $132,000 flat fee (or roughly 1/3 of the CEO salary), will most likely be made. Two employees from the firm will be dedicated to the MDH search, said Board Member and search committee member Seth Minter.
'This group works with hospitals our size and they've had success with searches for hospitals like ours,' Minter told the Board. 'Its expertise is hospital administration.'
