CHICKASHA – The Grady County Board of Commissioners did not grant the Grady Memorial Hospital Authority’s recent request for financial assistance to help bring a new family practice doctor to town.
The commission did not take action Dec. 16 on the authority’s request for $125,975 to cover the costs associated with recruiting and retaining a women’s primary care physician, Chairman Zachary Davis said in a phone interview. He said in deciding not to act, the commission essentially rejected the request.
“The other two commissioners didn’t really give a reason,” he said. “The only reason that I had is that I don’t feel like it’s the board of county commissioners’ position, or responsibility, to do recruitment for the hospital.”
An attempt to reach the hospital’s CEO, Warren Kean Spellman, for comment Dec. 19 was unsuccessful. Seeking assistance With the county’s help, the hospital has successfully recruited doctors in the past, Spellman said in a Dec. 9 letter to the commission. He added that the hospital has tried to hire a women’s primary care doctor but was outbid by other rural hospitals.
However, Spellman said, the hospital had an opportunity to recruit a female doctor who specializes in family medicine. As a result, he was asking the hospital to help cover the cost of providing relocation assistance, a signing bonus and other expenses, as well as the doctor’s first-year salary and benefits.
“As you are aware, access to primary care is a cornerstone of a healthy population and thriving community, yet our area faces a critical shortage of primary care physicians (PCPs),” Spellman said. “Women in our community very much prefer women physicians to be their caregivers and we are very much in short supply to meet this reasonable request.”
To bolster his case, Spellman cited American Medical Association data showing that about 41% of physician residents are women, while the remaining 59% are men. He said those numbers highlight the underrepresentation of women in family practice medicine in rural areas, which makes it even more important for communities like Chickasha to be competitive in recruiting and supporting female doctors.
“To ensure the successful recruitment and retention of a qualified physician, I propose the county provide financial assistance to cover initial signing costs and the first year of operational support,” Spellman said. “This investment would demonstrate our commitment to addressing the healthcare gap and improving outcomes for Grady County residents.”
Davis told Southwest Ledger that the hospital authority is among several county-affiliated trust authorities, but the other authorities haven’t asked the county to help recruit employees.
“On top of all that, that hospital has been propped up by the county for years now, and it’s just not sustainable over time,” Davis said. “There are going to have to be some changes in the way that we do business, because the county just can’t continue to prop them up.”
He said the county has contributed more than $700,000 to the hospital over the past five years, primarily for maintenance- related projects.