     This is a time of change for Chadron Community Hospital and Health Services as, for the first time in several years, it no longer has a management contract with Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff.
Under the contract, the Chadron Community CEO and Chief Financial Officer were both hired by Regional West with veto power over the chosen candidates remaining with the Chadron board of trustees.
      Current Chadron Community CEO Nathan Hough says the trustees were happy with the arrangement and would have continued it, but that financial and other issues have led Regional West to end such contracts this year.
Hough says the hospital is “doing pretty well” during the transition, adding that it “kind of opens some doors, too” and has no impact the close working relationship the two entities have in bringing in Regional West specialists for Chadron Community’s specialty clinics.
Regional West has also provided and staffed an Advanced Care ambulance at Chadron Community for patient transfers in recent years, but has ended that arrangement as well We’ll look at it tomorrow.