BELIZE CITY, Thurs. June 17, 2021– The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority (KHMHA) has announced the replacement of four of its senior managers — a move that it is classifying as a “rejuvenation” of its upper management. The KHMHA’s board of directors voted against the renewal of the employment contracts of three of those persons, which are all scheduled to end in the upcoming months.
The contracts for the hospital’s CEO, Michelle Cox Hoare; its Director of Nursing, Charlene Banks, and its Human Resources Director, Candice Miller, were all reviewed by the board, who handed down their decision to not proceed with the renewal of those employment arrangements. Also, of note, the hospital’s Financial Controller, Mike Thomas, opted to resign from his post, leaving just one senior manager at the health facility with an intact contract.
The chairman of the KHMH Board, Dr. Andre Sosa, told local media that this reshuffling is a normal part of the staffing process for the hospital, since the institution’s objective is to always get the best possible candidates to fill those top positions.
He highlighted the fact that under the outgoing management, almost 35 million dollars of outstanding bills have remained unpaid to the hospital. In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, almost 9 million dollars was not collected, he pointed out. Notably, according to Dr. Sosa, Mike Thomas, the KHMH Financial Controller, who presumably oversaw the collection process, gave no reason for his resignation.
Sosa said that while the financial hardships caused by the pandemic may have contributed to last year’s dismal collection figures, the board has seen a trend of hemorrhaging revenue for the hospital — a crisis in itself, Dr. Sosa said.
According to Sosa, the board feels that the injection of new energy and expertise through the recruitment of new managers will enable them to achieve the aspirations of the hospital and, in turn, the desires of the Belizean public.
The board will advertise the four vacant posts over the coming weeks. Dr. Sosa said that there are persons working currently at the hospital who can hold over until a final decision is made. The new acting CEO should be announced next Monday.
While there are reports that the KHMH staff have expressed concern over the move by the KHMH board and have reportedly gone into meetings with their union, Chairman Sosa said that the move is necessary for the hospital’s institutional continuity and rejuvenation.