Friday, May 14, 2010

Goodall Reinstates Salaries

SANFORD—
Goodall Hospital President/CEO Darlene Stromstad announced that due to improved financial performance over the past several months, the organization will reinstate the employee salary and benefit cuts made a year ago in response to the deteriorating economy.
Effective June 1, 2010, the start of a new budget year, salaries will be made whole and reductions to tuition, life insurance and pension will be reinstated. Additionally, the employees will have no increase in health or dental insurance contributions for the third year in a row.
“Our ability to do this while our economy is still in recovery is due to the hard work, dedication and sacrifices made by our employees. I am enormously proud of the progress we’ve made this past year,” Stromstad said.
Last March, Goodall made reductions in salary and benefits instead of contributing to the number of increasing layoffs across the state. “It was a hard decision and it was an unusual decision,” Stromstad said. “But based on the rapid deterioration of the economy in 2008 and 2009, we believed it was the right decision.”
Goodall Hospital Board of Trustee Chair Merilee Perkins echoed Stromstad’s praise of the staff’s contributions.
“The employees made great sacrifices for the communities we serve, ultimately putting the needs of the patients first. By focusing on the patients and through good, old fashioned Yankee frugality, our employees were instrumental in contributing to our improved finances,” Perkins said.
Last year, Goodall cut $5 million in expenses by eliminating all non-patient discretionary spending and through reductions in salaries and benefits. “Those cuts literally bought us the time to ‘right’ our organization. We’ve streamlined processes, we’ve grown, and we are running a tight operation. That just isn’t possible without the support and day to day involvement of staff at all levels,” Stromstad said.
“The Goodall Hospital employees – from service workers to the medical staff – are a shining example of the definition of professionalism and dedication. We couldn’t be any prouder of them,” Perkins said.