Holyoke Hospital District seeks to fill three board positions; Candidates answer questions

1 Why do you want to serve
on the Hospital Board of
Directors?

Kristina Ham: I
am deeply committed to the
growth of Melissa Memorial
Hospital. I collaborated with
Elisa Sagehorn and Kalin Noel
to organize the kick-off fundraising
telethon for the new
MMH facility. Another memorable
project I guided students
in, was the construction of the
Clock Tower/Time Capsule
located at the hospital. After
retiring, I conducted numerous
career fairs, including one
with over 300 students where I
invited the MMH CEO to be the
keynote speaker. Most recently,
I’ve volunteered at the MMH
Legacy Events, witnessing the
community’s generosity in
supporting the hospital’s critical
needs. I desire to contribute
to MMH’s future successes.

Chance Kramer: As a
life-long resident of Phillips
County, I have a strong interest
in serving on the Hospital
Board of Directors at Melissa
Memorial Hospital as I am a
strong supporter of our local
hospital’s service to our community.
I would like to contribute
my skills and experience to
ensure the hospital’s continued
success and positive impact on
our community, while also giving
back to the healthcare system
that serves our area. I am
deeply invested in the well-being
of our community, and the
hospital is a vital part of that.
Serving on the board would
allow me to directly contribute
to the hospital’s mission and
ensure it continues to meet the
needs of our of our residents in our
community.

Kevin Lybrand: Even
though I have not lived in
this community for long, I am
deeply invested in its well-being.
My experience leading PC
Telcom has given me a strong
understanding of the challenges
and opportunities facing organizations
serving the public.
My skills in strategic planning,
financial oversight, and stakeholder
communication can be
valuable assets to the Hospital
Board of Directors, helping to
ensure the hospital’s continued
success in providing quality
healthcare to our community.

Angela Powell: I decided to
run for the board from the very
beginning based around my desire
to help continue to provide
quality healthcare in Holyoke.
Holyoke and Melissa Memorial
Hospital have been part of my
life since I was born at MMH.
The hospital, the clinic, the lab,
the pharmacy, the speciality
clinic, PT, radiology and every
other aspect of the hospital has
had an impact on me and my
family. I am eternally grateful
to have a comprehensive
hospital that meets the needs
of our rural community. I
have experienced first hand
the benefits of having quality
medical services in our small
town from the services that it
provides and the dedicated,
hardworking staff that makes
sure that patients always come
first. There are many, many
times where MMH has personally
taken care of my family
at a level that surpasses that
of large urban hospitals. My
family owes a debt of gratitude
to all the hard working, caring
and compassionate employees
of MMH. It is these experiencesexperiences,
not only my own, but
countless other members of
our community that are the
reasons why It is very important
to me and to our community
to have a thriving hospital.
Our hospital is vital to the
sustainability of our community
and to ensure that our
hospital continues to thrive
and grow, it must have support
and help from the members of
our community. I have a strong
passion and desire to continue
to help support our hospital
and ensure its growth for the
future which is why I would
like to continue to serve on the
board of directors.

Carlton Allyn Robinson III:
I want to serve the community
and be more civically
involved. I believe the board
should be more fluid and
incorporate more community
members. I believe the board
and the community would benefit
if the board looked more
like the community that the
hospital serves. I have great
respect for all the board members,
past and present. They
have accomplished things that
many communities wish they
could. We are so blessed with a
great facility and community
leaders in Phillips County. I
would like see the hospital
provide more services for our
community. I think there are
areas where we can grow and
be more effective. The growth
of technology is going to bring
many challenges and opportunities
to our lives and the way
we operate and what we can do
for our community. Advancements
will be ever changing we
need to be prepared.

Jeff Sullivan: I am a lifelong
Holyoke resident who is
dedicated to supporting our
local health care system by
serving on the MMH Board of
Directors. I hope to work along
the side of other board members
to foster strong relationships
between hospital staff
and community members.

Julie Wiebke: I am currently
serving and wish to continue
serving on the Melissa Memorial
Hospital Board of Directors
because I live, along with
many family members, in this
hospital district, and I want
this community to have the
best possible health care. The
hospital must do a good job of
patient care and at the same
time must remain solvent in
order to offer that care. This
means that we need to be able
to recruit good care givers and
administrative people. The
hospital needs to be in good
financial health to be able to
recruit good providers. There
are innumerable government
regulations, not just for “care”
but also for quality control,
pricing and more. Navigating
these regulations is not easy,
and we must have great people
in the administrative area.
One final item that is important
is looking at what services
can we offer to best support
the residents of this community.
I want to continue to help
achieve these goals.

Steve Young: I joined the
MMH board because I felt being
involved in the community
is important and this board
was a good way to accomplish
that goal. The hospital is a very
important business to have
for keeping the community
thriving. Being on the board is still a good
way to support the Holyoke community.

Jamie Smith: The hospital
delivers essential services to
our community, and I would
like to see operations continue
with success. A vision for
current and future needs is an
integral part of a board working
with management to stay
on track. If elected, I would
enjoy working with the board,
Michael, and the staff members
to continue thier success at MMH

2 What experience and attributes
do you have that
you believe will benefit the
work of the Hospital Board
of Directors?

Kristina Ham :
I am excited to run for a position
on the Melissa Memorial
Hospital Board. As a retired
Holyoke High School Business
and Technology teacher,
I spent my career preparing
students to become future
leaders. I served seven years
on the Colorado FBLA Board
of Directors and four years
on the National FBLA Awards
Program Committee. I currently
manage the finances of our
family’s farm and ranch. My
experience in business, education,
and community engagement,
paired with a forwardthinking
mind-set, equips me
to contribute meaningfully to
the MMH Board and support
its mission of advancing local
healthcare services.

Jamie Smith:
I have worked in the telecommunications
industry for 33
years. I have seen how technological
needs have changed,
and we have been able to adapt
to utilize these technologies to
our benefit. We have worked
firsthand with the hospital to
provide the services they need
daily. Their attention to detail
compliments employees and
management for building and
maintaining a redundant and
highly reliable network. Utilizing
available grants or finding
subsidies helps with business
costs and allows for expansion
for current and future needs. I
have been involved with multimillion-
dollar grant projects at
PC Telcom and would have that
mindset for the hospital. I have
been part of the community
since 2020 and embrace the
challenges facing us in rural
settings.

Chance Kramer: My career
as a Salesmen at Central
Plains Equipment in Holyoke
has allowed me to serve the
community. I have a strong
financial background and
understand the importance of
business management. These
experiences and tools I have
gained throughout my career
have provided me with valuable
skills and perspectives
that can leverage to guide the
hospital’s strategic direction
and operations. In addition, I
have gained experience while
serving on the Phillips County
Fair Board, FFA Advisory
Committee, and the Holyoke
Chamber of Commerce Board.
I have a strong commitment to
health and medical care for the
residents of Phillips County.

Kevin Lybrand: My background
in the telecommunications
industry has provided
me with a strong foundation in
managing complex operationsoverseeing large-scale projects,
and ensuring regulatory compliance.
With my many leadership
roles throughout the
years, I’ve honed my financial
oversight, risk management,
and strategic decision-making
skills. My experience working
with and serving on boards
and managing employees and
contractors demonstrates my
ability to work effectively with
diverse teams. I believe that
these skills are highly transferable
to the healthcare sector.
My leadership skills and commitment
to ethical governance
and transparency will make
me an asset to the Hospital
Board.

Angela Powell: First and
foremost, I am passionate
about this hospital and passionate
about this community.
MMH has been a part of my
life from birth and I have a
strong desire to ensure that
it remains a vital part of
the community for the next
generation and the generation
after that. This hospital and its
ability to provide quality and
compassionate care has been
my mission throughout my
time serving on the board of
directors. I genuinely feel that
it is the role of the board of directors
to ensure that our hospital
provides patient centered
care, the true heart of what a
rural hospital is about. After
serving on this board, I think I
have developed a strong knowledge
base in governance board
leadership, board financial
oversight, and a strong desire
to work corroboratively both
with the community, the MMH
staff, and the other members
of the board. I always want to
bring my background in strategic
leadership and community
involvement to better serve our
hospital and community. I believe
that my experience serving
on this board and working
for other boards has given me
experiences and values that
will allow me to continue to
grow the hospital’s mission
and goals.

Carlton Allyn Robinson
III: I am a customer of the
hospital. I have also owned
businesses in the area and
always kept our customers at
the forefront. We need to know
who your customer is, what
they want and how to keep
them coming back. We need
to build trust and confidence
in our customers that have
sought health care elsewhere.
I have been here for 25 years,
working on farms, gas wells
and food service, if we did
not have repeat business or if
we were not asked back, none
of our endeavors would have
survived. We tried to treat our
customers in a way that we
would want to be treated. The
customer is the most important
piece of the puzzle. We
need to instill in ALL the staff,
at all levels, “ownership” in
their jobs and the importance
of their jobs in the care we provide
for our customers. We also
need to bring back the customers
we used to have.

Jeff Sullivan: I have been
a business owner for over 45
years and know how to work
with a down-to- earth approach
in day-to-day operations and
problem solving.

Julie Wiebke: I was born in
Holyoke and have lived here
most of my life. I participate
in my family business, Scholl
Oil & Transp. Co. I have helped
my husband in his custom harvesting
business and farming,
both by running machinery
and by doing the bookkeeping.
And – 20 years ago I started my
own real estate company here
in Holyoke. None of this relates
specifically to health care,
but this board is a governance
board, not an operations board.
Our job is to hire a good CEO,
and to make sure he runs the
hospital well. In addition, we
make sure the hospital has
good quality control, makes
good financial moves, and continually
evaluates the services
we offer or could add. The
combination of living in the
community for many years,
and of running businesses is
very helpful to this decisionmaking.
And, having run combines
and driven trucks, along
with the bookkeeping and
making business decisions, I
understand our rural community
and our needs. This
past year has been our, Melissa
Memorial Hospital’s, best
financial year in many years,
while many rural hospitals are
experiencing major financial
issues, with many looking at
the possibility of closing. Our
board, including myself, with
the administrator we brought
to this hospital and his staff,
and of course with our wonderful
care givers, have worked
very hard to make sure that we
are not in that position – that
we can continue to serve this
community far into the future.

Steve Young: Having been
on the MMH board for several
years, I have a good understanding
of where health care,
for rural facilities, has been
and where I think it may be
headed. I have met several
people in the healthcare industry
and use those contacts to
help me make decisions about
MMH. I feel MMH has been
able to maintain quality equipment
and staff to take care
of our customers. Building
a new facility was certainly
one of the highlights of being
involved with MMH.

3 What do you believe are
the most challenging
issues facing the hospital
district, and if elected how
might you help resolve them?

Kristina Ham: Hospitals face
financial challenges due to rising
healthcare costs, insurance
changes, and increased demand.
To address this, I would focus on
a balanced budget by efficiently using resources, exploring
alternative revenues like grants,
and conducting business case
analyses for profitable services.
Workforce shortages, particularly
in rural areas, lead to burnout
and turnover. To address this, I
would support staff recruitment
and retention through professional
development, adequate
staffing, and collaborations with
schools for scholarships and job
opportunities. Technological
advancements require hospitals
to adapt within budget. I would
prioritize technology investments
that enhance patient
outcomes while ensuring proper
staff training.

Chance Kramer: he most
challenging issues facing the
hospital district are healthcare
reimbursement, recruiting the
best talent to our rural setting,
engagement with the community
to continue to expand
service offerings, continuing to
build trust, and retain qualified
employees locally. As a member
of the board, I’d help guide and
support the CEO in this work
and representing the hospital
in a positive manner to further
build relationships in the community.
This is done by actively
engaging in strategic planning
as well as the monthly board
meetings. As a board member it
is important to be an advocate
for the residents of the community
we serve.

Jamie Smith: Living in rural
areas can increase costs. I would
look to enhance or broaden ways
to generate more revenue, add
services, and seek grants and extra
funding. Having less access to
proper care coverage can lead to
poor health outcomes. Keeping
this care available locally helps
the community and the hospital.
Maintaining quality care to a
high standard is solved by holding
the board, the staff, and the
employees accountable for the
care provided. I applaud those
currently working at MMH and
appreciate the care they provide.

Kevin Lybrand: From my
perspective as a community
member and business leader, I
recognize that hospitals often
face challenges related to
funding, staffing, and access to
care. If elected, I would leverage
my experience in strategic
planning and financial management
to ensure the hospital’s
long-term sustainability.
I would also prioritize initiatives
to improve operational
efficiency, enhance patient
satisfaction, and attract and
retain top talent. By fostering
collaboration between the
hospital, community organizations,
and government
agencies, I believe we can find
innovative solutions to address
these challenges and ensure
that everyone in our community.

Angela Powell: There will
always be issues that face our
small rural hospital district, so
to me, one of the greatest challenges
that we face is staying
ahead of and on the forefront
of the ever changing healthcare
environment. In order
for our hospital to continue to
thrive and grow we must be
constantly looking for new and
innovative ways to continue
to provide high quality care
to our patients. We must be
able to recruit and retain high
quality staff from doctors and
nurses to records and maintenance.
We must be able to
continue to be good stewards
of the resources and finances
of the hospital district. After
COCID many rural hospitals
have struggled to remain afloat
and financially stable. MMH,
after COVID and yet today has
worked diligently to ensure
that the hospital remains fiscally
solvent. This has been a
challenge, and will continue to
be a challenge for our hospital
as we move forward. The
landscape of healthcare is ever
changing and evolving and
a great challenge for a small
rural hospital is how to continue
to navigate all of this in
ever changing and uncertain
times in healthcare. I strongly
believe that without a strong
CEO and board; both who are
visionaries, who are willing to
be an advocate for rural healthcare
and the needs of rural
America, a rural hospital like
MMH will struggle to continue
to provide the healthcare that
our community needs and
deserves. My role as a board
member is to help with all
these challenges, helping create
strategic goals and visions
for what our hospital needs not
only today, but what we might
need long into the future. My
role is to listen to the needs of
the community, support the
great work of our hospital and
continue to ensure that we
are prepared for the future of
MMH.

Carlton Allyn Robinson
III:
#1. Customer Retention.
Bring back customers that now
travel out of town for their
health care.
#2. Staffing Retention. Train
and build up the people we
hire. The turnover of staff
is more hurtful than most
anything. There is value in
retaining our employees.
#3. I would like our hospital
to provide more services.
#4. Keeping up with Technology,
Regulations, Liability,
Insurance, Medicaid and
Medicare.
#5. Fostering all our citizens to be involved and be inspired
to serve in all our community’s
organizations as board of
directors or committees.

Jeff Sullivan: Without currently
serving on the board,
I don’t know the challenging
issues that the board may be
facing. However, as in any
business, there are ways
issues can be resolved on a
case-by-case basis. Once on
the board, I hope to gather all
the pertinent information not
available to the public, so that
I can contribute to the decision
making. I hope that my ability
to resolve issues at hand in a
timely manner and my proactive
approach in preparing for
future challenges, growth, and
developments will be an asset
to all.

Julie Wiebke: With so
much uncertainty surrounding
Medicare and Medicaid
at the federal level, coupled
with massive budgetary
shortfalls here in Colorado,
we must be mindful of the
potential impact, specifically
to rural health. We must be
engaged and advocate for rural
hospitals, like our Melissa
Memorial. This is vital to the
long-term sustainability of
our facilities. The hospital,
the clinic, specialty clinic, and
other services could be very
negatively impacted by this
legislation. For example, there
are two state bills working
their way through the Colorado
legislature in this session
that would affect funding for
rural hospitals. Fortunately,
our CEO sits on the state
hospital association board as
these bills are navigated, and
we are optimistic that this
board can affect the legislation
to make it more favorable for
us. The other, ongoing challenge
is recruiting and keeping
care givers – doctors, nurse
practitioners, nurses, etc. For
instance, we are currently
looking for a bi-lingual doctor.
In a rural setting, far from a
metropolitan area, recruiting
and retaining is a constant
challenge. There are no easy
answers to this, but we have
and will continue to look for
great people and show them
our great facility and community.

Steve Young: Currently the
hospital is doing well financially,
having just finished 2024
with one of the best years we
have seen recently. The hospital
has been able to reduce the
number of traveling nurses to
a very low level, which means
that you are more likely to see
the same staff members visit
after visit. Having continuity
on the board will help to keep
MMH doing well.