Dorothy Sawyer to serve as Hospital interim CNO

POMEROY-The Garfield County Hospital District board of commissioners introduced Dorothy Sawyer, interim Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) and discussed the electrical project at their meeting on Dec. 2.

Dorothy Sawyer, of the Spokane area, is serving as the interim CNO for Garfield County Memorial Hospital while candidates for the permanent position are being interviewed.

Sawyer stated that as CNO she is preparing for an upcoming survey by monitoring citations from previous surveys, as well as routine monitoring with special attention to the infection control policy. She is not affiliated with an agency. "If there's a need, if there's a call, I do it on my own," Sawyer said. "Everyone here has been so welcoming. I have been impressed with the care and compassion the staff has shown to patients," she also stated.

The electrical project is still experiencing delays due to a transfer switch that has not yet shipped. Internal wiring in the buildings is nearly completed, but has been wired into the old boards. They will be rewired into new boards upon the arrival of the switch. Expected completion of the project has been moved out to mid-February.

Underground mapping for the imaging suite has been done, resulting in pink lines stretching across the hospital grounds. Congressional funding for the project is still awaiting budget approval by Congress.