The Perry County Commission moved to strengthen leadership at Perry County Memorial Hospital board of trustees on June 4, appointing 2 new members to the hospital board of trustees following recent resignations and signaling what county and hospital leaders hope will be a renewed focus on the future of healthcare in Perry County.
During its regular meeting, the commission appointed Robin Sims and Lisa Bohnert to fill vacancies on the hospital board. Sims will fulfill the remainder of the term vacated by former trustee Joe Hutchison, while Bohnert was appointed to complete the term vacated by Gwen Schweiss, who formally resigned on May 28. Both appointments will remain in place until the next municipal election on April 6, 2027, in accordance with Missouri law.
The Perry County Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees oversees the governance of property and hospital assets and plays an important role in ensuring quality healthcare services for the community. The elected board terms are 5 years. The board meets the last Thursday of every month.
The appointments arrive during a period of transition for the hospital and its governing board, which has spent much of the past several years navigating major operational changes, including Perry County Memorial’s affiliation with Mercy and ongoing discussions about the long-term future of healthcare services in the county.
County leaders described the appointments as an opportunity to maintain continuity and preserve strong oversight of the hospital while ensuring the board remains fully staffed.
“We appreciate the willingness of Ms. Sims and Ms. Bohnert to serve the community and support the mission of the hospital,” presiding commissioner Mike Sauer said in a statement released following the meeting. “Their service will help ensure continued leadership and oversight of the hospital as it works to provide quality healthcare services to residents throughout Perry County.”
Hospital leadership also expressed optimism that the board can now move forward and focus on day-to-day responsibilities after months of uncertainty.
The board vacancies followed the resignation of Hutchison, who had previously served as board president, and Schweiss, who had been acting president following Hutchison’s departure. Schweiss announced her resignation publicly during a hospital board meeting on May 28 after expressing concerns about governance, transparency and the direction of board decision-making.
In remarks made at that meeting, Schweiss said she no longer believed she could continue serving while remaining true to her convictions, citing disagreements over oversight and hospital governance. After more than two decades working at the hospital, she said the decision was difficult but necessary.
A week after resigning from the hospital board, Schweiss also resigned from the Perry County Health Department board, prompting the county commission to put out another call for people interested in filling the open seat.
Despite the public nature of the resignation, hospital board member Patrick Naeger said the board’s focus remains on serving residents and maintaining momentum at the hospital.
“The hospital board goes on,” Naeger said following Schweiss’ resignation. “We have a lot of work to do.”
Naeger said he expects the newly appointed trustees to help restore a full working board and allow members to turn attention toward long-term priorities.
“So, hopefully sooner rather than later,” Naeger said of filling the vacancies, “we will reorganize as such and elect new officers and then we will get with the business of the hospital and get our budget in line and get an investment plan in line and try to do our part to help our hospital achieve greatness.”
Naeger, who was recently re-elected to a second 5-year term on the board, said one of the board’s chief responsibilities is helping ensure Perry County residents continue to have reliable healthcare close to home.
He emphasized that trustees are not responsible for operating the hospital on a daily basis — a role now handled through the hospital’s partnership with Mercy — but instead focus on oversight of the facility and long-term planning.
“Our responsibilities are the oversight of the physical plant,” Naeger said, adding that the board continues to explore opportunities for investments and partnerships aimed at making healthcare “better for this community, more accessible” and affordable.
Naeger also pointed to Mercy’s financial and technological investments in the hospital as evidence of forward progress. Among the most significant improvements, he said, was the replacement of an outdated electronic medical records system, which he described as a necessary upgrade that would have cost millions of dollars for the county hospital to implement independently.
“Mercy put in place and spent about $6 million on a new electronic medical record,” Naeger said, noting that facility remodeling and physician office improvements have also been completed under the partnership.
While public debate surrounding the hospital’s lease agreement and governance has continued in recent months, Naeger said he believes the board should concentrate on the future rather than revisiting past disagreements.
“I want to look forward,” Naeger said. “I don’t want to go backwards.”
For county leaders, the June 4 appointments represent an important step toward stability as the hospital board regains a full complement of members and prepares to reorganize.
The hospital board is expected to elect officers after Sims and Bohnert are officially seated, setting the stage for what commissioners and trustees alike hope will be a productive next chapter centered on maintaining healthcare access for Perry County residents.
