Maverick County Hospital District CEO Elcira Bares tenders letter of retirement to Board; Job Opening to be advertised

By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

Maverick County Hospital District (MCHD) Chief Executive Officer Elcira Bares tendered a letter of retirement to the local hospital district Board of Directors, dated November 18, 2013, at the MCHD Board of Directors regular meeting held on Wednesday, January 22, 2014, at the Second Floor Conference Center at the hospital district’s headquarters located at 3406 Bob Rogers Drive in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Bares wrote to the MCHD Board of Directors advising them that “I am writing to inform you that I will not be renewing my contract, which is scheduled to terminate on March 31, 2014.” Bares told the Board of Directors that she was retiring from the MCHD. Bares stated that “I have very much enjoyed my five years in the position of Maverick County Hospital District Chief Executive Officer.”

Agenda item No. XI at the January 22nd MCHD Board meeting included an Executive Session regarding discussion of personnel matters regarding employment contracts including the Chief Executive Officer contract and Physician contracts. The MCHD Board of Directors went into Executive Session at approximately 1:35 P.M. and returned into Open Session (Agenda item No. XII) at approximately 2:25 P.M. after consulting with General Counsel Celeste Lira of Brin & Brin of San Antonio, Texas.

MCHD Board of Director Ricardo E. Calderon made a motion in Open Session that the Board accept Chief Executive Officer Elcira Bares’ letter of retirement, dated November 18, 2013, to the Board of Directors and that the Board immediately advertise the job opening with the same job description currently held by Bares in local newspapers, the San Antonio Express-News, and with Texas and national health care associations or organizations with an application deadline of Friday, March 7, 2014, at 3 P.M. at the hospital district’s office located at 3406 Bob Rogers Drive in Eagle Pass. Board member Joaquin L. Rodriguez seconded the motion and the Board unanimously approved Calderon’s motion with Board President Juan Manuel “Chuco” Farias and Vice-President Rito J. Valdez, III voting in favor. Board of Director Humberto Duran was not present at the January 22nd MCHD Board meeting.

Bares wrote to the MCHD Board of Directors that “…I feel a need to move on to other activities and opportunities at this time,…”
Bares stated that her retirement is effective March 31, 2014.

Earlier in the MCHD Board of Directors’ January 22nd meeting, Weaver and Tidwell, L.L.P., Certified Public Accountants, of San Antonio, Texas, presented the Board the 2012-2013 Financial Statements and Audit of the MCHD showing the local hospital district’s total assets decreased in 2013 by approximately $1,980,000 and a decrease in 2012 by approximately $600,000, totaling approximately $2,580,000 in the past two years. Furthermore, in 2011 the MCHD’s total assets decreased by another $3,517,000. According to Management’s Discussion and Analysis in the 2012-2013 Financial Statements and Audit of MCHD, “the District’s operating expenses were approximately $2,500,000 greater than operating revenues in 2013 and approximately $2,148,000 greater in 2012. The increase in operating loss is primary due to expansion of district services.” MCHD unquestionably has been sustaining significant financial losses or decreases in total assets in recent years requiring that these losses be paid from the hospital district’s reserve funds.