Park Hospital District board recalls, Colorado (2017)

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Park Hospital District Board recall
Officeholders
Diana Van Der Ploeg Chuck Levine Ryan White
Recall status
Resigned
See also
Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2017 Recalls in Colorado Colorado recall laws Special district recalls Recall reports

Effort to recall Diana Van Der Ploeg, Chuck Levine, and Ryan White from their positions on the Park Hospital District Board of Directors in Larimer County, Colorado, were launched in December 2016 and March 2017. The Park Hospital District Board of Directors is the governing body of the Estes Park Medical Center.

The effort to recall board president Diana Van Der Ploeg began in December 2016. In March 2017, a second recall petition was created that sought to remove two more board members, Gerald Mayo and Steve Murphree. On April 6, 2017, the board announced that all five members would resign, effective May 1.

“	The Board members resignations are in no way an acknowledgement of any wrong doing by any member of the Board. Each Board member decided to step aside from the Board seats for the betterment of the Medical Center and community.	”
—Press release from the Estes Park Medical Center

Recall supporters

The group seeking the recall said that they wanted Van Der Ploeg off of the board due to a culture of bullying hospital employees, the question of whether board member Ryan White's address made him ineligible to serve on the board, and unhappiness with Van Der Ploeg serving a third consecutive term as president. They were also upset that Gregson hired a management consulting firm without the board's approval. Board members Gerald Mayo and Steve Murphree said they supported the effort to recall Van Der Ploeg.

The recall petition called for Van Der Ploeg, as well as Interim Estes Park Medical Center CEO Mark Gregson, to resign immediately. Otherwise, they said they would attempt to recall the three board members. Gregson stepped down in mid-January, when Larry Leaming, the new CEO, took over.

Anne Morris submitted the paperwork to recall Gerald Mayo and Steve Murphree. When asked about the reasoning for the recall, she said in an email, "We need hospital district board members who have a proven history of integrity, experience with public service and overseeing large, complex organizations, and the strength to see that the medical center is run for the greater good of the community."

Recall opponents

An open letter in response to the allegations against Van Der Ploeg was published in the Estes Park Trail-Gazette on December 13, 2016. The letter defends Gregson's hiring of the management consulting firm, saying that the move was in his power and did not require board approval.

In response to the complaint about Van Der Ploeg's third term as president:

“

The request to seek a one-time exemption to the policy during the May 2016 election was pursued only because at the time, Hospital leadership consisted of three (3) new, incoming Board members and an interim CEO. At the Board’s request, Dr. Van Der Ploeg agreed to serve a single additional year as president, which concludes in May 2017. The special circumstances were reviewed by legal counsel and recognized by all Board members, who unanimously approved the exception to provide for the ongoing stability of the Medical Center.

”

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing recall in Colorado

Recall proponents needed to collect about 300 valid signatures in order to have the recall petition verified. After the signatures were turned in and approved, the hospital board needed to set an election date. The board set a date of May 21, 2016, during its meeting on April 21. However, since the entire board resigned on May 1, there was no longer a need for a recall election.

Recent news

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Park Hospital District board recalls, Colorado (2017) - Google News

See also

Suggest a link

• Recall campaigns in Colorado
• Political recall efforts, 2017
• Special district recalls

External links

• Estes Park Medical Center, "Governance"