Candidates for Hospital District Trustee

The Hospital District is a special taxing district established by the voters in Albany County, which is supported in part by a three mill levy. It is governed by an elected seven-member Board of Trustees. There are three four-year terms available this year, and one two-year term due to a resignation. There is no salary, but members are reimbursed for hospital-related travel.

1. What is your background, and what qualifies you for this office? (100 words)

Julie Bandemer (four-year term): My experiences as a hospital board member and as an independent business person are the strengths that I bring to the IMH Board of Trustees. During my four years on the IMH Board, I served as the Chair of the Finance and Community Relations Committees. From those leadership positions I have worked hard to resolve the financial and community relationship problems caused by IMH’s ill-advised relationship with the hospital management company QHR. As a business person, I know that community confidence in IMH must be earned by supporting the work of our hardworking and dedicated employees and physicians.

Shelbie Bershinsky (four-year term): I have been a Hospital Board Trustee at IMH for the past four years. I have also worked in healthcare for the past 20 years and as a Registered Nurse for the past twelve. Patient care and Quality have always been my priority and what I have tried to focus on in my role as Trustee. I feel like I have worked very hard over the past four years to make positive changes at IMH. I believe that hard work and honesty are always the best policy and feel like without myself on the Board, we may not have changed Administrations.

Andrew Horgan (four-year term): Originally from Wilmington, DE, my wife and I moved from Washington DC to Ouray, Colorado in 2005 after spending 18 months returning her to health from a diagnosis of breast cancer. This experience jump-started my medical career. I put behind me a full career as an Executive Chef and focused on becoming an EMT for Ouray County, CO. Joining the Wyoming Air National Guard in Cheyenne, I became a medic where I proudly serve today. I relocated to Laramie, as my wife finishes her last year of teaching, and am enrolled full time as an Economics Major at UW.

George Janack (four-year term): I have been a resident of Laramie for 28 years. I have been employed with UW Electrical and Computer Engineering for 28 years. I served my country honorably in the U.S. Army, and my education and experience is largely technical and engineering. I strongly believe in the importance of quality localized medical care, and the significance of having a state-of-the-art medical facility with capable personnel, both to the individual and the community.

Trent Kaufman (four-year term): I have 26 years of medical experience, initially as a provider and later in higher-level administration.  I hold a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business from UW. I have been the Director for billing and collections for Wyoming Medical Center as well as CFO for Converse County Hospital.  For the previous 12 years I have been the administrator for Gem City Bone and Joint.  In addition, I have owned a private medical billing company for 10 years.  I am a former satisfied patient of Ivinson Memorial Hospital as well as a former employee some 21 years ago.

Henry R. Richter (four-year term): I have lived in Laramie for 32 years. My wife, Rita and I have six children and one grandson. I am the co-founder and former President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Trihydro Corporation, a nationwide consulting company, headquartered in Laramie. I graduated from UW with a MS in 1980. I have 25 years of executive management and Board experience. I have a passion for the health and safety industry, a desire to see IMH succeed as a community cornerstone and will utilize my expertise and conduct myself in a manner that will foster a unified Board.

Shelley J. Towler (four-year term): I earned two BA degrees in English and Communication Theory from UC Davis. I completed my Law Degree at UW. I am 21 year resident of Laramie. I have worked for governmental entities in management and law. I was a middle manager for a national property management and construction corporation, instituting business infrastructures, supervising marketing and leasing operations. I managed my property investments and residential renovation business for 25 years. My husband, Brian and I raised three children, Sarah, Renée and Adam in Laramie. Sarah is a USAF pilot in Cheyenne, serving a second tour of Iraq in December.

Crystal Vogel (four-year term): I spent months in Honduras and Mexico with Amigos de Las Americas promoting healthcare.  I worked as a CNA after graduate school while teaching CPR/First Aid classes for about 10 years. I served on the Board of Directors of the Albany County Chapter of the American Red Cross.  Currently I am the office manager of The Boardwalk. More important is my desire for quality medical care in Laramie.  As the wife of a quadriplegic I have learned how life changing every hospital visit can be.  My passion is to facilitate IMH in providing excellent health care everyday to every patient.

Dona Coffey (two-year term): I was elected to the Albany County School Board, served on the Board of Wyoming Territorial Park Historical Association, was president of the Albany County Education Association and held other leadership positions during my 21 years of teaching.  I have the skills necessary to serve on the Hospital board and as a retiree, I will be able to spend time working to solve problems the hospital faces.  I have learned that some Laramie citizens hold a very negative perception of the hospital.  This deeply concerns me and I will work hard to change this perception.

Hugh McGinley (two-year term): I believe my professional experience and public service qualify me for the IMH board. I am a retired UW Emeritus Professor of Psychology. I spent nine years on the Laramie City Council, six of which were as vice-mayor. I have served on various boards and commissions, both locally and statewide, and I am currently a board member of UniWyo Federal Credit Union.

Karl Schueler (two-year term): I’ve been a resident of Laramie since January 2001 after 21 years in the Air Force. I was an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight Chief, Chief of a Quality Assurance Flight, and Wing Inspector General Team member for three different bases. Responsibilities included: development of operational and contingency plans for specialized deployment teams, weapon systems research and development programs, strategic planning and resource management of budgets ranging from $600K to $2.5M, and coordination and protection of high profile dignitaries for the US Secret Service and Department of State. Bachelor’s: Business Administration, Historical Studies, and Secondary Education. Associates: Resource Management.

Jason M. Tangeman (two-year term): I was born in Laramie and have made Laramie my home for the past 22 years. My wife Laura and I have two younger children. We are both University of Wyoming graduates. In 1997 I graduated from the College of Law and have been practicing in Laramie since 1998. I am a partner in the firm of Nicholas and Tangeman, LLC. In my law practice I have developed a wide range of experiences and expertise. These include advising corporate clients regarding business and employment contracts, litigation/risk management, tax and finance matters and governmental regulation.

2. The billing system at IMH is contracted to an out-of-state firm, and some patients report that bills are often slow in arriving and are not itemized. What steps do you think are necessary to remedy the situation? (75 words)

Julie Bandemer (four-year term): Our former hospital managers, QHR, destroyed IMH’s business office while charging $500,000 annually for their services. Needless to say that is why I worked so hard to remove QHR. Now that we are managing our own affairs again, the simple solution to the billing problems is to require our CEO to follow the lead of other good hospitals in the area and rebuild IMH’s business office and bring the hospital billing process back into IMH.

Shelbie Bershinsky (four-year term): Problems originated in billing due to: computer system change, interim Administration and turnover in the business office. We brought in Med Assets to help as the backlog of billing was more than the hospital could handle and to help retrain staff and improve processes. IMH purchased new software to improve the billing efficiency and processes. In February, the contract will end and we hope to be able to bring all billing back to IMH.

Andrew Horgan (Four-year term): The company in question needs to understand that we are the customer. If the services agreed to in the contract are not being met, in this case timely billing and itemization, then this needs to be addressed and resolved. If the contractors are not willing to resolve and meet our high standards for service to the community then we need to terminate their services and find a company (possibly local) that will. Or do it in-house.

George Janack (four-year term): As with any problem, appropriate steps should be taken to determine the cause, scope, severity, and impact, and then remedy the situation. IMH needs to make the vendor aware of problems so that they may revamp their procedures. If the vendor is unable to address the problem, the contract can be awarded to another vendor that can meet the specifications of the contract, or an in-house billing system could be reestablished.

Trent Kaufman (four-year term): Personnel at the hospital need to be properly trained in the billing functions and then held accountable. I see no reason why the billing needs to be done out of town/state.  Patients need to have local access to the billing personnel so that they can understand the parts of their bill. One of my major experiences lies in medical billing for the largest medical facilities in Wyoming. 

Henry R. Richter (four-year term): Some billings such as accounts past due 90 days and some self-pay accounts are contracted to an out-of-state firm. The majority of accounts are billed in-house. Previous billing issues experienced by some patients rest largely with a transition to new accounting software and an almost complete turnover in financial staff in 2007. Successful implementation of the new system is in process and it is a goal to return all billings to in-house servicing. 

Shelley J. Towler (four-year term): Billing should be prompt, accurate and with sufficient detail. The hospital’s billing system had problems prior to 2007. While searching for a new CEO and because of several interim CFO’s, a decision was made to outsource the billing. This ended with a bad result. Deficiencies were addressed with new software and a plan to bring billing back in-house. If elected, I will do everything possible to ensure improvement continues and all billing returns in-house.

Crystal Vogel (four-year term): It is exasperating receiving inaccurate bills. I understand that computer changes and employee turnover are to blame.  My solution is to expedite the processing of old, back logged billing, work on employee retention and training here in Laramie.  I support patient advocacy to help patients deal with inaccurate bills.  My ultimate goal is to have all the billing in-house at IMH, with checks and balances in place to insure improved customer service.

Dona Coffey (two-year term): The current billing system is a problem and the CEO says it is her top priority.  As a board member, I would work diligently to see that the CEO has the necessary means to provide patients with a prompt and accurate billing system that would restore faith in the hospital. A board should not micro manage, it should set the policies and make certain that they are followed.

Hugh McGinley (two-year term): I have heard of IMH billing problems. Before suggesting any remedying action I would investigate the scope of the problem and seek information about possible solutions. As a general statement, I believe a patient should receive an itemized bill as quickly as possible and a clear statement of medical procedures and findings.

Karl Schueler (two-year term): The current billing system is in place due to prior mismanagement by Quorum. It has been set up as a temporary fix and Med-Assets guarantee their work. All future billing is intended to be completed in house. I suggest that the bills be itemized (not using codes) and be promptly delivered. I would further suggest a website where people could access their account on-line with a bill pay function, and/or submit questions.

Jason M. Tangeman (two-year term): It is my understanding that an “out-of-state firm” is only utilized in collections. Initial billing is managed by Medicine Bow Technologies. Medicine Bow is in the process of debugging their software to bring greater timeliness and specificity to the billing process. IMH has already invested significant resources with Medicine Bow and patience is necessary to ensure a return on that investment.

3. Have you had any personal connection with IMH in the last five years that might create a conflict of interest for you as you sit on the Board of Trustees? Explain how you plan to disclose, eliminate and/or manage any conflicts, so that public trust in IMH will be enhanced. (75 words)

Julie Bandemer (four-year term): The Wyoming legislature knows that potential conflicts of interest are inevitable in local government and provides conflict of interest laws that allow public servants to serve despite occasional conflicts of interest. In my case, my corporation won a contract to provide physician billing services through a competitive bidding process in 2007. I disclosed my conflict of interest and did not participate in the decision to award that contract. That contract has not been renewed.

Shelbie Bershinsky (four-year term): The only personal connections that I have with IMH in the past five years are my current role as Hospital Board Trustee, which I have had for the past four years as I stated in question one and the fact that I have been a patient at IMH. I do not believe that any conflicts would arise, as everyone in our community is a potential patient. As a Trustee, we fill out Conflict of Interest statements annually and are expected to declare conflicts on any issue brought before the Board.

Andrew Horgan (four-year term): I am associated with a couple of nurses and techs on a professional level through work at the Wyoming Air National Guard and am proud of that association. I don’t believe these professional relationships will do anything but enhance the trust and confidence of the community in IMH. Therefore, I would have no conflict of interest if I were elected as a member of the hospital board.

George Janack (four-year term): I have had no personal connection with IMH in the last five years that might create a conflict of interest. If a conflict arose, I would excuse myself from any votes or discussions that would influence the direction of IMH, in accordance with applicable policies and codes of conduct. I would seek the appropriate counsel to determine any conflict. It's important to remain objective, and to remain morally, legally, and ethically unchallenged and aboveboard.

Trent Kaufman (four-year term): I believe in open and honest communication.  I have no hidden agenda(s) and have been dealing with conflict throughout my career.  I believe in focusing on a problem and building consensus with fellow board members to solve the problem.  I will dismiss myself from any discussions/voting in which I might have a conflict of interest.  I presently have no personal connection with IMH, which I feel would create a conflict of interest.

Henry R. Richter (four-year term): Trustees have a fiduciary responsibility to disclose direct and/or indirect conflicts of interest. The IMH Code of Conduct and CP006 policies provide clear guidance regarding such conflicts. I have no direct or indirect conflicts with IMH. I will submit all personal information in accordance with existing or future policy documenting no former or current conflicts and will engage in no future activities so as to create a real or perceived conflict.

Shelley J. Towler (four-year term): Trustees have a duty to protect IMH from conflicts of interest related to their own conduct, and also the conduct of other members of which they have knowledge. I believe there is an ethical and moral duty to conduct hospital business in a respectful and considerate manner. I have been a patient at IMH several times since 2006. I currently have no conflicts and will diligently, declare and defend the hospital board if any should arise.

Crystal Vogel (four-year term): In the past five years I, my husband, and other family members as well as many friends, have been patients at IMH.   To the best of my knowledge there are no conflicts of interest in electing me to the IMH Board of Trustees. I believe my experiences as a patient and care giver, give me a greater insight and unique perspective that better qualify me to serve on the Hospital Board.

Dona Coffey (two-year term): Currently there is nothing that would cause me to declare a conflict of interest.  I would declare a conflict if in a position to provide an advantage or disadvantage to a person or business or if my emotions would render me unable to be impartial.  I believe a board member should make morally and ethically sound decisions especially regarding possible conflicts of interest.

Hugh McGinley (two-year term): Other than a stress reduction discussion with a group of IMH nurses many years ago and a recent request for IMH by-laws, I have had no contact with IMH personnel beyond that which occurred when I have been a patient.

Karl Schueler (two-year term): My wife is currently a hospital employee; therefore, I would need to recuse myself for certain employee issues. Also, I need to be aware of other board members conflicts and avoid any interactions that might be misconstrued as inappropriate. Additionally there is a requirement for disclosure of conflicts of interest that require annual review and updates. When a change occurs, immediate disclosure by the trustee is required

Jason M. Tangeman (two-year term): I have no personal conflict of interest with IMH. My law partner represents a group of physicians who are negotiating a lease agreement with IMH. Although I have not been personally involved in the lease negotiations, pursuant to the Wyoming Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys I would be precluded from participating in any Board discussions and votes regarding these clients. As an attorney I am held to written rules of professional ethics that specifically relate to conflicts of interest and I would adhere to those standards during my tenure.