After two years on the job, Sitka Community Hospital board voted to extend CEO Rob Allen’s contract for another year.
The decision was made at their April 27th board meeting through unanimous vote. In a press release, the board said that, “Rob has worked diligently with his staff to make the hospital successful during a difficult period.”
Allen was hired on an interim basis in January of 2015, after the abrupt departure of former CEO Jeff Comer and the discovery of a cash flow problem at the city-owned hospital. Allen signed a two-year contract in April. With this extension, he’d remain CEO through April of next year.
Before he departs, Allen wants to implement a long-term plan for financial sustainability. He added he feels good about hospital’s senior leadership team and staff. “Everyone that’s here is dedicated to being here and providing good quality patient care. That’s important. This is very much a mission driven organization and that’s a great mission. I enjoy being a part of that,” he said.
Allen also received a $5000 raise, bringing his salary up to $180,000. The 3% bump was written into the contract language. When asked if he considered foregoing it, he said he felt the hospital was in a good enough financial position for him to take it.
“I feel like I’ve come into a situation and made a difference. It was something I didn’t feel uncomfortable asking for,” he said.
The hospital’s budget is forecasted to be in the black by $300,000, though proposes service cuts. Those include shutting down the obstetrics program and scaling back surgical coverage to half-time. The hospital has also moved to hire an outside consultant to develop a 10-year plan.
