Michael Reeh says receiver’s appointment may violate state regulations, the hospital’s bylaws

By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

One Hillsboro physician not planning to leave raised questions about the legality of recent Hillsboro Community Hospital decisions during Tuesday’s Hillsboro city council meeting.

Physician Michael Reeh, who practices family medicine and geriatrics, said hospital receiver Cohesive Healthcare Management and Consulting’s decision to appoint Wichita physician Hannah Bingham as new medical director violates both state regulations and hospital bylaws.

“That, I’m sorry to say, goes against state hospital regulations,” Reeh said. “I am now chief of staff.”

Reeh said state hospital regulations require the hospital to maintain an organized medical staff, and said that hospital bylaws require a medical director to be full-time and elected by the medical staff. Chief of staff elections are held in January, he said.

“I think we have to look at whether Cohesive is doing what they’re supposed to do,” Reeh said.

Reeh said Cohesive has been receiver for three months and the hospital has already lost two physicians.

Physician Alisa Schmidt, who is also medical director for Good Shepherd Hospice, left HCH on Friday and plans to practice in Andover.

Physician Greg Erb will leave July 1, a hospital source said Friday.

Margaret Grisner, acting CEO of the hospital, said a press release with more detail is expected to be sent out later this week.

Grisner said Bingham, who completed residency two years ago, will oversee physician’s assistants Jessica Hughbanks and Joshua Smith.

New permanent physicians are being recruited.

Bank of Hays, the hospital’s mortgage lender, filed a court petition in January seeking mortgage foreclosure.

District judge Steven Hornbaker appointed Cohesive as receiver in January.

Hospital owners CAH Acquisition Co. 5 appealed the decision to the Kansas Court of Appeals, but the appeal was stayed when a petition seeking bankruptcy protection was filed in federal bankruptcy court.