DAYTON - A
retiring Navy hospital administrator will come aboard at Columbia
County Hospital District as chief operating officer Jan. 19, and
hospital officials expect him to take the helm as administrator by
July 1.
Bruce Grimshaw, an Ohio native, was selected from an original
pool of 43 applicants for the position. The present administrator,
Bob Compson, plans to retire at the end of June.
During his time as chief operating officer, Grimshaw will be able
to acquire licenses required for the administrator position.
Grimshaw and two other finalists were interviewed in Dayton in
early November.
Grimshaw, a 20-year Navy veteran, and his wife have two
daughters, ages 9 and 11 years old, Hospital Board Chairman Roland
Schirman said this morning. Grimshaw presently is administrator for
a 90-bed U.S. Naval hospital in Okinawa, Japan.
Board members also approved a $8.3 million 2004 budget for the
hospital district during their meeting Thursday. The budget is
approximately the same as the current years' budget, Schirman said.
The board also discussed strategies for implementing the bond
funds voters approved in September. The $5.9 million bond will be
used to replace boilers and electrical systems in the hospital,
replace the Waitsburg Clinic building, as well as aging medical
equipment.
Board members decided to tackle electrical improvements first.
Replacement of the heating system will have to be delayed ``until we
can turn the heat off,' Schirman said.
In a related matter, the board instructed Compson to seek
additional funding to purchase digital X-ray equipment. Bids that
came back on the equipment were about $40,000 more than expected,
Schirman said.