More about employee turnover at Winneshiek Medical Center

The resignation of Winneshiek Medical Center Chief Administrative Officer Dan Werner is the latest in a string of high-profile resignations at the hospital.  Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kurt Carlson resigned, while doctor resignations included several radiologist, surgeon Dan Mansfield and family practice doctors Greg Tjossem and David Maher.

Winneshiek Medical Center Board of Trustees president Ben Wyatt says there were a variety of reasons for the resignations, many of them personal reasons.  "You're always concerned about turnover," says Wyatt, but he notes turnover at hospitals nationwide averages 25 percent of the staff in one year, while that figure was 11 percent last year at Winneshiek Medical Center.

In some cases, says Wyatt, the departures came because "doctors do what's best for themselves."  That's not always what's best for the overall hospital, he says.

For instance, eight nurse anesthetists have quit during the past five years.  Dr. Brian Dougan, who spent time as the hospital's interim Chief Medical Officer following Dr. Carlson's resignation, notes the turmoil was caused when the hospital decided to match the standards of the Mayo Health System for anesthesiology, rather than the less stringent State of Iowa standards.  "We did the right thing by setting a higher standard," says Dougan.

The hospital recently lost three doctors, but has hired seven new doctors.  A new general surgeon has just signed a contract with the hospital to fill Dr. Mansfield's position.

Wyatt says it's difficult for a hospital in Decorah to compete with hospitals in Rochester, La Crosse and other bigger towns, but he thinks Winneshiek Medical Center is doing a good job of it.  He says WMC is doing the things that need to be done to make the organization successful.