RCH Elects New Board...

REDLANDS, CA - Bill Heitritter was recently elected chairman of the Redlands Community Hospital Board of Directors, replacing outgoing president Russell Burch, who served as chairman for the past two years.

Heitritter has been a member of the hospital's board for eight years, having served as Vice Chairman for two years, Treasurer from 1996 to 1999 and Finance Committee Chairman for the past seven years. He was instrumental in working with the board and hospital administration to develop the hospital’s 25 year Master Plan, which was announced in 2000.

A resident of Redlands for 17 years, Heitritter is a partner in the CPA firm of McGladrey and Pullen in Riverside. He and his wife Mitchell have four children.

Heitritter has served in the past on the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for California State University , San Bernardino and Kimberly-Shirk Association, Redlands , and is past president of the San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce. He is currently on the Board of Directors for the Inland Empire Symphony Association.

Russell Burch, retiring board chairman, served on the hospital’s board for 11 years. He is the president of Jon-Lin Corp in Colton. Burch and his family reside in Redlands.

Other officers elected to the board for the year 2002-2003 are: Phil Doolittle, Vice Chairman; Barbara Wormser, Secretary; Pat Gilbreath, Treasurer; and Jim Holmes, President. Appointed as Chief of (Medical) Staff was Carolann Rosario, M.D., an internal medicine physician with Beaver Medical Group in Redlands . Chief of Staff-elect is Sharen Jeffries, M.D., an Otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose, throat) specialist with Beaver Medical Group. Other board members are: Kenneth Barr; Peter Davis; Joseph Dotan, M.D.; Bill Hatfield; Robert Hodges; Robert Rentschler, M.D; Jon Roberts; Stan Weisser; and Serena Davis, who represents the Redlands Community Hospital Foundation. Retiring from the board were Paula Dill and Charline Kuntz, who is past chairman of the RCH Foundation Board.

Jim Holmes, RCH president/CEO, expressed the hospital's appreciation to the board for their leadership in guiding the hospital into the future.

"Healthcare is an ever-changing industry. Our board members bring their personal and professional expertise to help guide the hospital in its 74-year tradition of providing quality healthcare to Redlands and the surrounding communities," said Holmes. "The board members’ insightful community focus assists hospital management in balancing the changing external forces with maintaining excellent patient care."

"During the next few years, the public will see increased activity and tremendous changes at the hospital as we approach our 75th year of incorporation and 100 years as a clinical hospital in Redlands . Construction will begin on a three-story Maternal/Child Services and Surgery building addition which is scheduled to break ground in the fall of 2003," concluded Holmes.

Redlands Community Hospital, a 172-bed non-profit community hospital, is located at 350 Terracina Boulevard in Redlands. The general information number is (909) 335-5500.

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