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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2025 |

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Bay Area Hospital Board Announces New CEO Among Other Executive Positions BY NATE SCHWARTZ Editor

The Bay Are Hospital (BAH) Board of Directors meeting on October 14 was another standing room only affair as multiple announcements for the executive team were made. Amid the hospital’s well documented financial struggles, the new board had sought fresh leadership shortly after their swearing in, leading to the resignation of the prior CEO Brian Moore back in July. A motion passed to begin execution of a contract for the CEO position with the now-previous Chief Operating Officer Gretchen Nichols. Nichols received glowing praise from the board, staff, and wider hospital community alike in an interview process that involved as many of those parties as possible. “We looked for a CEO candidate, and we had the CEO here already,” said Board Chair Simon Alonzo. “Gretchen has immense experience in the healthcare industry. She’s led very successful hospitals. She knows what we need, and she’s also here to stay.” The choice for continuity makes sense, as Nichols has been an instrumental part of the turnaround that has begun under the watch of Interim CEO Kelly Morgan. The challenges that BAH faces are myriad and unique, so selecting someone that can not only hit the ground running, but has already been a part of the

marathon, is a boon for the leadership team and saves a bedding in period. “I think [Nichols] has a really good vision for where she wants BAH to be. Her background being a nurse but also being the CEO of bigger and equivalent institutions gives her the experience she needs to lead us, and get us back on stable ground,” said Board Secretary Patrice Parrott. “She understands where we were and now how far we’ve come.” Many board members made the point that Nichols began working at BAH after coming out of retirement, having chosen the Coos Bay area to be her permanent home. They believe this shows her commitment to bettering our community and proves she’s here for the long haul. She boasts a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Business Administration. Prior to joining Bay Area Hospital, Gretchen served as a Hospital President for a health system in Portland, having worked her way up the entire chain of command. “In my career, I started at the very bottom. My first job in healthcare was a CNA, then I became a nurse, then a charge nurse, then assistant nurse manager. I did every single role all the way up to the top of the organization, so I come with a lot of unique perspective about organizations and operations. But it really starts with the people, that’s why I stay and why I keep coming back,” said Nichols just after the vote passed.

“The heart of this organization is really important. It’s important for this community, and all of the employees here, and our partners and physicians in the community who are counting on us. So, I want to be here to help this community and the hospital carry forward. We spend a lot of time talking about our finances, and we have to get them in order and save the hospital, to build that strength back. But we also have to invest in our people.” Nichols and the board thanked Morgan for his guidance during this period. According to his report to the board, BAH’s operating costs for the month of September was a roughly $930,000 loss. Still a huge number, but put in perspective it is the first time the hospital has operated at a sub-seven figure loss in the 15 months of data shown, indicating that the restructuring seems to be working to help stabilize finances. Though, it seems that help from the state legislature will still be a crucial component of achieving normalcy. That restructuring comes at a real cost as well. While many of them have been attributed to reductions in contract labor and natural attrition, jobs are being lost. The public comment section of the meeting consisted of two speakers upset with the loss of the Case Management Department leader Candy Johnson, who was clearly a well-appreciated figure among medical staff. Also during Morgan’s pre-

sentation, it was announced that a permanent CFO had been found in Patrick Banks, who is currently a Regional Finance Officer and Hospital CFO with HealthTech in Washington. Banks earned his MBA from University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. In November he will be taking over from interim CFO Doug Dickson, who joined alongside Morgan.

Later on in the meeting it was announced that Dr. Derrick Oaxaca would be appointed the new Chief Medical Officer. Oaxaca is a well-known member of the local medical community and has worked as an emergency medicine specialist in Coos Bay since earning his MD from Texas Tech’s Paul L. Forster School of Medicine in 2019.

Plan Ahead for Halloween with Events All Over Coos County

STAFF REPORT

Spooky Season is in full swing and events are coming to every creepy corner of the coast. While kids will be donning their costumes and hitting their neighborhoods to collect as much candy as possible on the big night, there will also be plenty of city sponsored events and alternatives for those looking to have safe fun in their community. Here’s a short guide to what’s happening in your town!

Coos Bay The Coos Bay Downtown Association is hosting their annual Trick-or-Treat event down in Coos Bay Village and on Front Street on October 31 from 3 PM to 5 PM. Participating businesses, marked with an orange jack-o-lantern poster, will be welcoming costumed kiddos with treats. Seeing the streets of downtown Coos Bay full of colorful costumes is a yearly highlight that always

draws a big crowd! A full list of participating businesses will be available on October 28th at: coosbaydowntown.com The Mahaffy Ranch Pumpkin Patch is open daily through the 31st, Mon-Thurs from 12-6 PM and Fri-Sun from 10 AM – 6 PM. This is the perfect place to pick your Find more own Halloween events on page 11

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