Barbara Dicks, former vice chair of the Eureka Springs Hospital Commission, resigned effective Friday, Nov. 15, according to an email sent from mayor Butch Berry to members of the city council.
Berry requested Dicks’ resignation, according to the email dated Saturday, Nov. 16.
“FYI, Barbara Dicks has resigned at my request from the Hospital Commission effective yesterday,” reads Berry’s email to council members.
Several people who spoke during the public comments segment of the Nov. 11 city council meeting, called for Dicks to resign her post amid allegations that she violated both the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
The Times-Echo reported Nov. 14 that Dicks and hospital commission chair Kent Turner exchanged text messages about firing then-hospital CEO Angie Shaw and also discussed other personnel matters by text, as well as meeting privately with hospital CFO Cynthia Asbury, all violations of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
Those who spoke to the council also asked for the resignations of Turner, Asbury and acting CEO Jodi Edmondson, the hospital’s HR director, after allegations of a “toxic” and “hostile” work environment.
Speakers during public comments included current and former hospital staff, along with members of the community, who discussed recent decisions made by the hospital commission and included descriptions of their versions of events that have transpired at the hospital in recent months.
The comments came after the commission held a series of recent special meetings to make personnel changes. Shaw was terminated Friday, Nov. 1, and received support from many who shared comments with council members. During three special meetings held Monday, Nov. 4, the commission then terminated Jessica Petrino, the hospital’s former director of nursing, put Asbury on a 60-day Performance Improvement Plan “to be monitored by the commission,” and named Edmondson acting CEO.
“I know many of you have been contacted by the public to have a town hall meeting,” Berry wrote in his email to council members regarding Dicks’ resignation. “However there are a lot of unknowns right now. And [there’s] few answers that we know at this time.
“I can say that the hospital commission is hiring a director of nursing to take over the nursing department. They are also planning on hiring an independent company to review procedures and allegations that have been made.
“Kent Turner, Hospital Chair, is in constant communication with the state health department about what they are doing. We expect a report from the State within the next 7 to 10 days. As soon as we hear from the State I will let you all know. In the meantime the Hospital is open and running.”
There was no mention of Dicks’ resignation at the Nov. 18 hospital commission meeting.
ALLEGED VIOLATIONS
The alleged violations from current and former hospital employees included Dicks accessing the hospital’s video surveillance system, including watching feeds from home.
“I was a direct witness to Barbara talking about watching hospital surveillance feed from her home, which she used to suggest improvements on how my staff worked and interacted with patients more than once,” former employee Shannon Magee wrote in a letter read at the Nov. 11 council meeting. “This is a HIPAA violation.”
Charlotte Bunyar, a registered nurse who worked at the hospital from 2022 until this year, echoed those comments, telling council members she was also aware of Dicks accessing the system.
“One commissioner, Barbara Dicks, often watched the live feed from her personal residence,” Bunyar said. “This is a huge HIPAA violation. It’s going to cost tons of money. My suspicions of Barbara accessing these live feeds from her home is confirmed when I was told that Barbara no longer has access to these anymore…” Current employee Tina Adams told council members she also witnessed a potential HIPAA violation involving Dicks.
“Barbara Dicks … exhibited intimidating behavior and pressured me to remove window blinds in the lab so she could see in, which would expose patient privacy and patient information from the computer, which is a HIPAA violation,” Adams said at the Nov. 11 council meeting. “She laughed at the loss of patient information.”
Former registered nurse Laurie Long said she had a face-to-face encounter with the now former vice chair of the commission.
“Barbara Dicks came into the nurses’ station, turned around, looked at my computer and said, ‘well, what are you working on, dear?’ ” Long said. “And I said, ‘ma’am, that’s none of your business. That’s a HIPAA violation. I can’t allow you to stay back here.’
“And she said, ‘I’m on the commission, it’s OK.’ And I said, ‘It’s your commission against my license. My license will win every time. Have a nice day.’ ”
