JOHN DAY -- The Blue Mountain Hospital District took a big step toward hiring an interim CEO on Thursday, Nov. 14, when the board voted unanimously to approve the terms of an employment offer to Margie Molitor.
Molitor was expected to respond to the offer within a week.
The terms approved by the board include a salary of $7,000 a week, or $364,000 a year, plus standard employee benefits. The district also agrees to cover the cost of housing and basic utilities and reimburse Molitor for travel expenses for up to two trips per month to her home in Wyoming.
The hospital's current CEO, Cam Marlowe, announced last month that he is stepping down for medical reasons. His last day on the job will be Dec. 1.
If Molitor accepts the offer and passes background checks, she is expected to start work on Dec. 2.
Molitor's task will be to keep the hospital district running smoothly while the board conducts a search for a permanent chief executive to succeed Marlowe, who has held the position since July 2022.
At a previous meeting, the board agreed that Molitor would work alongside Lori Lane, Blue Mountain Hospital's compliance officer.
The Blue Mountain Hospital District is a public health district serving Grant County and is partially supported by property taxes. In addition to the 25-bed Blue Mountain Hospital in John Day, the district also operates the Strawberry Wilderness Community Clinic, Blue Mountain Care Center and Blue Mountain Hospice.
The district employs around 250 people and has an annual budget of $34.4 million.
This would be Molitor's second stint as interim CEO of the publicly owned hospital district. She served in the same role from mid-January to mid-June of 2015, when the district was operated under contract by HealthTech Management Services.