The Flint Hills Community Health Center Board of Directors said goodbye to Lougene Marsh, executive director of the health center, during its regular monthly meeting Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday marked Marsh’s last board meeting before she leaves to take the helm at Johnson County Health Department. Betty Murrell, chief financial officer, has been named as interim executive director of the center.
Marsh has been executive director at the center since 2001. Her last day at the center is Tuesday.
A committee has been formed to search for Marsh’s replacement. On the committee are Scott O’Mara, human resources manager at the health center; Dr. John Brockhouse, Dr. Michael Mawdsley, medical director at the health center; County Commissioner Teresa Walters; Ann Mayo, director of environmental health at the health center; and Bill Persinger, director of the Mental Health Center of East Central Kansas.
The board accepted Marsh’s resignation Tuesday afternoon during the meeting. The board thanked her for laying a strong foundation and for her service to the community. Marsh said she didn’t do it alone.
“There is no way this kind of growth and accomplishments would have been achieved without the team here at the health center,” Marsh said.
Marsh also said the board’s support was essential for the center to expand the grow.
“That kind of board support has allowed this to happen,” Marsh said.
Marsh said she’s enjoyed her time at the health center.
“I can’t tell you what an honor this has been to serve as director of this organization,” she said. “... I expected to retire here. I really did. It was a very difficult decision to decide to accept this position.”
In other business, board members approved a one-year trial run of community screenings for blood pressure and other medical screenings at Emporia Senior Center in conjunction with an existing foot clinic.
Board members also discussed the monthly financial report. February operations resulted in a net loss of $124,175.99. The center had budgeted an income of $720.23. The board also heard that during February, Graves Drugs reported that that 908 prescriptions were dispensed to 556 patients under the 340B program. The average cost to the client was $6.77 per prescription with the average cost to patients greater than 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level at $4.59.