Letter to the Editor: PCMH employees have their say

To the Editor:
At the Perry County Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees meeting held March 22nd, a letter and signatures from PCMH employees in support of PCMH’s providers and administrative team pursuing a letter of intent with Mercy Health was read and presented to the board.
After this letter was read, Perry County Coroner and PCMH Board of Trustee candidate William “Bill” Bohnert insisted on making additional comments to the board even though he had been provided time to speak earlier in the meeting. In reference to the employees who signed the letter, Mr. Bohnert then stated, “This week I had a call from several employees here. A lot of them felt like they were put under pressure to sign this form.” He further stated, “One of them actually said I worried for my job if I didn’t sign it.” Mr. Bohnert’s statements are a matter of public record in the video that was recorded during the board meeting and is posted online by the Republic Monitor. Mr. Bohnert was again quoted in an article in the Republic Monitor on March 24th stating “A lot of them felt like they were put under pressure to sign this form.”

The PCMH employees who signed the letter that was presented to the board did so freely and in full support of their providers and administrative team. At no time were any employees pressured or coerced, nor were jobs threatened. At no time did any of these employees call or speak with Mr. Bohnert as he alleged.
It is disheartening and insulting to the dedicated and hard-working employees at PCMH that a hospital board candidate would make such allegations about the very people he is seeking to represent. We ask the community to exercise their right to vote next Tuesday, April 5th, in favor of a hospital board candidate who is supportive of the employees at PCMH.

Signed,

Julie Wengert, Sarah Layton, Susan Nesslein, Sharon Layton, Suzanne Buchheit, Amanda Rellergert, Rick Welker, Jennifer France, Lori Sutterer, Daniel Corke, Jennifer Ruehling, Zach, Schneider, Todd Ransom, Dawn Nortin, Paula Jones, Amanda Mezo, Crystal Hudson, Kaleb Barr, Jessica Warren, Kadaysha Schremp, Jason Berkbuegler, Brooke Sitze, Tabitha VanGennip, Kaysee Adams, Dana Cover, Anna Mueller, Amanda Wozniak, Kendra Holt, Natasha Giesler, Kelsey Berkbuegler, Sam Fritsche, Stephanie Neuling, Rachal Triller, Ron Allen, Shelly Boyer, Emilie Tarrillion, April Buerck, Stephanie Schmidt, Pam Walz, Kristen Besher, Emily Hosey, Carla Barber, Beth Theiss, Geri Vaeth, Julie Cordia, Nicole Fritsche, Andrey Atkeson, Vannesa Schwendemann, Joyce Smith, Elizabeth Creech, Kelly Lohmann, Janice Ferguson, Sarah Meyer, Earl Tenaja, Renee Grim, Bonnie Clements, Ashley Welker, Jesse Mortin. John Kirsch, Sandy Schemel, Kim Estes, Lindsey Hadler, Jessi Gill, Ashley McMath, Katlynn Parker, Morgan Hoffmeister, Daphne Bohnert, Patty Lorenz, Chassity Terbrak, Brittney Weber, Shae Mattingly and Net Salvador