‘It’s been coming home to family’
After a month of filling the role, Cordell Memorial Hospital’s new Administrator Chief Nursing Officer Melinda Laird said she has settled in quite nicely.
Laird, who was made aware of the position by a friend, said she stepped right up as soon as it became available and has been excited to be the administrator ever since she began.
“I have been in executive positions, leadership positions for about the past 15 years and was looking forward to being back in the rural health community,” Laird said. “I love rural health and connecting with the community, which is a great deal of what we’re going to be doing here.”
Laird, who has been in the healthcare industry for over 30 years, grew up and began her leadership endeavors in a rural community. Before coming to Cordell, she worked at the OU Medical Center.
Since becoming the administrator, Laird said she has found the staff to be very welcoming and open.
“We have great open communication and all members of the staff have been very receptive to me being here and just doing things that we want to do to improve the hospital,” Laird said.
While a month may not seem all too long, Laird discussed things she and her staff have gotten done, and Laird has many plans in store for both the hospital and the community.
Most recently, the hospital had its front yard spruced up and “made more spring-looking” as they added flowers and bushes to the yard.
“It was all done as a team. It was not me. It was not assigning it to somebody else. Myself, as well as kids from our staff members, were all out there working together,” Laird said. “So it was really a family event, and that’s what I have felt like this has been here. It’s been coming home to family.”
Other improvements for the hospital include some remodeling to the building as well as the addition of staff members such as the two new nurse practitioners at the clinic.
“[Patients] are not going to get all their healthcare needs here, but we’re going to be their first step and be able to come back here if they are in the hospital in Oklahoma City, but they can finish their recovery here,” Laird said.
Making the community aware of the services the hospital provides is one of Laird’s goals as she said that things such as getting a cat scan, ultrasound, labs, physical therapy, and respiratory therapy are just some of the things that people need to be aware of that the hospital can provide.
Getting back out into the community is also on Laird’s to-do list as they have some events planned for the summer that will involve members of the community.
“I want us to be a face, and not just my face but, all of our leadership team, anybody in the hospital. All of our employees, I want them to be a face in the community. So that’s my goal,” Laird said.
Getting feedback from the community is also important to Laird as she said she welcomes members of the community to reach out to her with any comments.
“If there’s anything that [residents] want to see us do, that we may have done in the past that we stopped, I open my door, my phone,” Laird said.
“They can call me and we can talk about either why we can’t do it anymore or what it would take for us to do that.”
Overall, Laird said she has most enjoyed getting to know the people at the hospital as well as residents as they have embraced and welcomed her which has further cemented her love for the people of Western Oklahoma.
“We just want to make sure we serve our community. And again, not just Cordell, but Washita County.”