OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

HHC Board of Trustees Meeting Summary – September 17, 2025

Other Meetings (A-H) — Wednesday, September 17, 2025
BodyIndianapolis, Indiana
SessionOther Meetings (A-H)
DateWednesday, September 17, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 40:28

Transcript — Verbatim
0:20

We'll uh we'll uh open the meeting with uh prayer and then we have uh bishop uh Rob to uh uh to to lead us.

0:29

Thank you, uh Bishop Lyons.

0:31

Welcome.

0:32

As we gather together today, we hold with gratitude those who serve the health and well-being of our community, those who meet people in moments of crisis and vulnerability, whether in homes, on the streets, in hospitals, nursing facilities, or counseling spaces.

0:50

As we observe Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we pause with a moment of silence for those in our community who have struggled with despair, those we have lost, and those who continue to walk their journey toward hope.

1:09

We also give thanks for the steady presence of caregivers, first responders, and advocates of many disciplines who remind our neighbors that they are not alone.

1:21

As our board deliberates today, may their stewardship strengthen the work of the various divisions of the Health and Hospital Corporation, that dignity may be upheld in times of illness, hope extended to those who struggle, and that the mission of care entrusted to each of us may flourish and grow.

1:41

Amen.

1:43

Thank you, Bishop Rob.

1:45

Uh with that, I'll uh do a roll call uh uh of the members uh and just uh so I will uh uh uh trustee Hannafi, I know is not with us today, uh nor is uh trustee Dr.

1:57

Fish, so I will uh will not include them in the rule call.

2:01

But uh Vice Uh Chairperson Drummer present Trustee Du Set Trustee Horn Present, Trustee O'Brien, present, and trustee Lozard is also present, so uh it'll just be the uh seven.

2:16

Uh with that, uh I uh would introduce the consent agenda, which consists of the board minutes from August 2026, uh 2025 of the uh treasurer and the uh CFO report, uh the uh appointments, reappointments, and changes in privileges, and the uh psychiatry associate uh staff clinical privilege form.

2:40

Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda?

2:42

So moved second, then moved by uh trustee Horn, seconded by uh Chairperson, uh Vice Chairperson Drummer.

2:50

Uh all in favor if uh I'll just do a roll call uh uh vice chairperson Drummer.

2:55

Yes, uh Trustee Du Set.

2:58

Yes, Trustee Horn, yes, Trustee O'Brien, yes, and trustee Lazard Vuchess motion carries um uh 5-0.

3:07

Um with that, there are uh no other action items on the agenda, and we will move to the uh report section.

3:17

Um here uh and first is Health and Hospital Corporation.

3:21

I'll introduce uh our CEO uh uh and President Paul Babcock, and I'll let you uh introduce the uh we'll be down the line af after you're finished.

3:31

Uh thank you, Mr.

3:32

Chair.

3:32

Um my comments and remarks are brief today for uh for the board.

3:36

Uh first and foremost, I think the most you know critical thing for the board to know is that tomorrow evening at 5 30 in the public assembly room, uh the health and hospital will be reporting uh or presenting our budget to the city county council municipal corporations committee.

3:52

Um I think last month I said that we were second on the agenda, and uh we have now been moved to last.

3:58

So depending upon the things that occur with the library and indigo, it could be a long evening, though I hope that it will not be.

4:09

We've had extensive conversations um with the council, with leadership in the city, um across the board, and they may um be just glad to get out of there later in the night.

4:20

We don't anticipate any uh issues or challenges, but we are ready.

4:23

The team will be there.

4:25

Um so I just wanted to let you know that, and if you want to watch it, you can watch it online and channel 16.

4:31

Starts at 5:30.

4:32

I can't tell you what time we'll go on, so you may end up getting stuck watching the whole committee meeting.

4:37

Um of us like to do that, some probably not.

4:41

Um second, I'd like to introduce uh our new chief compliance officer, Lisa Taylor.

4:46

She's here in the audience.

4:48

Um Lisa went through the extensive process to be chosen for the new position.

4:53

Uh, we look forward to bringing her on board.

4:55

Today is her second day.

4:57

Um so Monday was her first.

5:00

We've got her on boarded and look forward to introducing her to all the folks in the um on the organization, and a great addition to the team.

5:07

Uh third, just briefly uh for the board, all of our construction is on schedule except for, and I'm sorry, Dr.

5:14

Dan, I don't mean to make fun of you.

5:16

Uh, but IEMS, they're delayed due to a permit issue, so it's not really your fault.

5:21

Um, but we're excited to have all the things moving, and and as always, uh, board members or members of the uh the team, you know, come out to 38th Street.

5:30

You can see the change we're making to the area from you know North 38th in Arlington all the way down to 38th in Keystone to 38th in Muller.

5:38

You know, the organization is making an impact uh in the city, and it it shows and you can see it.

5:44

And then finally, just as a point of personal privilege, I'd like to wish uh trustee drummer a happy early birthday.

5:51

His birthday's on Monday.

5:52

And AI warned you I was gonna do it.

5:55

Um so unfortunately it doesn't fall on the board day, we're being more impactful, but happy birthday, and I'll turn it back over to you, Mr.

6:02

Chair.

6:04

I don't know.

6:05

Well, I guess we won't sing happy birthday.

6:07

All right.

6:08

Uh thank you.

6:10

Uh uh thank you, Paul.

6:12

Uh so then I'll turn it over to uh our interim CFO and assistant treasurer uh James uh Simpson to uh for his part of the report.

6:21

Thank you, Chairman Lazard.

6:23

Uh just a few updates today to build on what Paul had mentioned on the budget after the Muni Corps presentation tomorrow.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Health████████████████████████████████████36%
Mental Health Awareness█████████████13%
Budget███████████11%
Employee Relations█████████9%
Emergency Management█████████9%
Procedural██████6%
Public Education████4%
Public Safety████4%
Economic Development███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Health & Hospital Corporation Board of Trustees Meeting – September 17, 2025

Note: The agenda and transcript indicate the meeting was held on September 16, 2025, but the user-provided date is September 17, 2025. This summary uses the requested date.

The Health & Hospital Corporation (HHC) Board of Trustees met at 2:02 p.m. in the Faegre Drinker Conference Room, Rapp Family Conference Center, 720 Eskenazi Avenue, Indianapolis. Chair Robert W. Lazard called the meeting to order after an opening prayer led by Bishop Rob Lyons, which included a moment of silence for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Trustees present: Robert W. Lazard (Chair), Carl L. Drummer (Vice Chair), Kelly A. Doucet, Brenda S. Horn, and Mike O’Brien. Absent: Thomas Hanify and Gary R. Fisch, M.D. The board approved the consent agenda and received updates from all major divisions.

Consent Calendar

  • Vote: Approved unanimously (5-0) by roll call. Items included:
    • Board minutes from August 26, 2025
    • Treasurer & CFO Report: August 2025 Cash Disbursements ($174.7 million, below 2025 monthly average of $176.9 million)
    • Appointments, Reappointments & Changes to Privileges (see details in agenda)
    • Psychiatry-Associate Staff Clinical Privilege Form

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public signed up to speak.

Discussion Items

  • Health & Hospital Corporation (HHC) Report – Paul Babcock (President & CEO):
    • HHC will present its 2026 budget to the City-County Council Municipal Corporations Committee on September 17, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. (last on the agenda).
    • Introduced new Chief Compliance Officer Lisa Taylor (2nd day on the job).
    • Construction updates: All projects on schedule except IEMS headquarters (delayed by permit issue). Noted visible impact along 38th Street from Arlington to Keystone.
  • Treasurer & CFO Report – James Simpson (Interim CFO):
    • Budget timeline: Municipal Corp Committee meets Oct. 1 for review/recommendation; full council vote expected Oct. 6, 2025.
    • BABS bonds refunding: One rating call (Moody’s) completed; S&P rescheduled for Sept. 23; pricing week of Oct. 13; closing Nov. 5.
    • Financial update (as of Aug. 31, 2025): General fund balance decrease of $12.1 million year-to-date (improved from $13.3 million last month). Year-end projection improved from a $28.9 million decrease to a $23.2 million decrease due to strong interest/investment income, health department revenues, and below-budget expenditures.
  • Cultural Excellence Committee Report – Dr. Kimberly McElroy-Jones & Felicia Rosberg:
    • Continued staff development workshops; newest cohort of trainers started Sept. 10.
    • Supplier diversity spend (through July 31, 2025): Total applicable spend $183.7 million; diversity spend 11.57% ($21.3 million). Breakdown: Minority-owned 7.80% (goal 15%), Women-owned 2.68% (goal 8%), Veteran-owned 0.95% (goal 3%), Disabled-owned 0.15% (goal 1%).
  • Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD) Report – Dr. Virginia Caine (Director/CMO):
    • Presented by Madison Winthrop: Safe Syringe Access Program (since April 2019) has reduced acute hepatitis C rate in Marion County from 8.7 cases per 100,000 in 2018 to 1.6 per 100,000 in 2024. State law authorizing syringe exchange sunsets July 2026, pending legislative discussion.
    • Budget: $123 million total operating budget; favorable by $1.6 million in operating expenses and $2 million in miscellaneous revenues/fees.
    • Health First Indiana funds: Anticipate spending $10 million over 2025-2026 budget year.
    • Recent activities: Participated in local festival; received $25,000 grant from Central Indiana Senior Forum Fund for senior fall prevention and home safety.
    • Back-to-school vaccinations: Over 600 students served with 1,350 vaccines; additional walk-in clinics on Saturdays through October.
    • Trained teachers/ staff in Stop the Bleed (81 participants) and CPR.
  • Eskenazi Health (EH) Report – Dr. Lisa Harris (CEO):
    • Stroke Center recognized by American Heart Association for 6th consecutive year with Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus and Elite Honor Roll; also Type 2 Diabetes designation.
    • Dr. Graham Carlos named Chief Medical Officer of Specialty Care, effective immediately.
    • St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild and Versiti Blood Center of Indianapolis announced AIM (Achievement in Medicine) Award co-recipients: Megan Porter (social worker/palliative care) and Dr. Claire Willard (medical director of palliative care).
    • Lown Institute recognized Eskenazi Health as Indiana’s top hospital for community benefit and avoiding overuse for the fifth consecutive year (among over 2,700 acute care hospitals).
    • Three procurement bids provided in board packet for discussion/vote at next meeting.
  • Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center (SEMHC) Report – Dr. Ashley Overley (CEO):
    • Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) implementation progress: State dashboard shows same-day access average of 0.2 days; therapeutic services initiated within 4.8 days of first contact (quality metric: within 10 business days).
    • Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team: 15 staff including dedicated psychiatrist; current caseload 61 (capacity 100). Program reduces hospitalization and improves community functioning. Examples: Same-day transfers from hospital, long-acting injectable medications administered in community, avoided re-hospitalization after discharge.
  • Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services (IEMS) Report – Dr. Daniel O’Donnell (Chief):
    • Third annual IEMS Gains skills competition (record 14 crews); champions: Michaela Keller & Elijah Chenevez.
    • IEMS Awards Banquet returned after hiatus since 2019 (two nights to cover shifts). Winners announced for EMT, paramedic, preceptor, FTO, support person, educator of the year.
    • Upcoming events: WNBA playoffs, Roche Hazmat exercise (Sept. 23), Lilly Day of Service (Sept. 25), Circle City Classic Parade, NCAA Final Four (April 2026), EMS World Convention (Oct. 2025).
  • Long Term Care (LTC) Report – Julie White (VP of LTC):
    • Resident occupancy steady at 76%.
    • Quality review team conducted 20 visits in August (10 administrative/clinical, 10 environment/emergency/life safety).
    • 14 graduates honored from the Opportunities to Nursing Excellence program (8 LPNs, 6 RNs); 17th year, 72% of 184 graduates remain actively employed.
    • Deficiency-free annual surveys in August: Avalon Village (Logansport) and Lake Point Village (Scottsburg).
  • Eskenazi Health Foundation (EHF) Report – Angela White (EVP):
    • Foundation board meeting held Sept. 16; heard reports from Women’s Services and Eskenazi Health Center.
    • Strategic planning ongoing; program “Behind the Scenes of Healing” relaunched to offer curated tours.
    • Fundraising focus: Food is Medicine program and FerryBach program match. Year-end board meeting Dec. 8, 2025, will elect new members and leadership for 2026.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda approved unanimously (5-0).
  • No other votes taken; all reports were informational.
  • Next meeting: Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. (location TBD).
  • Adjourned at approximately 3:00 p.m. (estimated from transcript length; no exact time given).

Meeting Transcript

We'll uh we'll uh open the meeting with uh prayer and then we have uh bishop uh Rob to uh uh to to lead us. Thank you, uh Bishop Lyons. Welcome. As we gather together today, we hold with gratitude those who serve the health and well-being of our community, those who meet people in moments of crisis and vulnerability, whether in homes, on the streets, in hospitals, nursing facilities, or counseling spaces. As we observe Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we pause with a moment of silence for those in our community who have struggled with despair, those we have lost, and those who continue to walk their journey toward hope. We also give thanks for the steady presence of caregivers, first responders, and advocates of many disciplines who remind our neighbors that they are not alone. As our board deliberates today, may their stewardship strengthen the work of the various divisions of the Health and Hospital Corporation, that dignity may be upheld in times of illness, hope extended to those who struggle, and that the mission of care entrusted to each of us may flourish and grow. Amen. Thank you, Bishop Rob. Uh with that, I'll uh do a roll call uh uh of the members uh and just uh so I will uh uh uh trustee Hannafi, I know is not with us today, uh nor is uh trustee Dr. Fish, so I will uh will not include them in the rule call. But uh Vice Uh Chairperson Drummer present Trustee Du Set Trustee Horn Present, Trustee O'Brien, present, and trustee Lozard is also present, so uh it'll just be the uh seven. Uh with that, uh I uh would introduce the consent agenda, which consists of the board minutes from August 2026, uh 2025 of the uh treasurer and the uh CFO report, uh the uh appointments, reappointments, and changes in privileges, and the uh psychiatry associate uh staff clinical privilege form. Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? So moved second, then moved by uh trustee Horn, seconded by uh Chairperson, uh Vice Chairperson Drummer. Uh all in favor if uh I'll just do a roll call uh uh vice chairperson Drummer. Yes, uh Trustee Du Set. Yes, Trustee Horn, yes, Trustee O'Brien, yes, and trustee Lazard Vuchess motion carries um uh 5-0. Um with that, there are uh no other action items on the agenda, and we will move to the uh report section. Um here uh and first is Health and Hospital Corporation. I'll introduce uh our CEO uh uh and President Paul Babcock, and I'll let you uh introduce the uh we'll be down the line af after you're finished. Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. Um my comments and remarks are brief today for uh for the board. Uh first and foremost, I think the most you know critical thing for the board to know is that tomorrow evening at 5 30 in the public assembly room, uh the health and hospital will be reporting uh or presenting our budget to the city county council municipal corporations committee. Um I think last month I said that we were second on the agenda, and uh we have now been moved to last. So depending upon the things that occur with the library and indigo, it could be a long evening, though I hope that it will not be. We've had extensive conversations um with the council, with leadership in the city, um across the board, and they may um be just glad to get out of there later in the night. We don't anticipate any uh issues or challenges, but we are ready. The team will be there. Um so I just wanted to let you know that, and if you want to watch it, you can watch it online and channel 16. Starts at 5:30. I can't tell you what time we'll go on, so you may end up getting stuck watching the whole committee meeting. Um of us like to do that, some probably not. Um second, I'd like to introduce uh our new chief compliance officer, Lisa Taylor. She's here in the audience. Um Lisa went through the extensive process to be chosen for the new position. Uh, we look forward to bringing her on board. Today is her second day. Um so Monday was her first. We've got her on boarded and look forward to introducing her to all the folks in the um on the organization, and a great addition to the team. Uh third, just briefly uh for the board, all of our construction is on schedule except for, and I'm sorry, Dr. Dan, I don't mean to make fun of you. Uh, but IEMS, they're delayed due to a permit issue, so it's not really your fault. Um, but we're excited to have all the things moving, and and as always, uh, board members or members of the uh the team, you know, come out to 38th Street. You can see the change we're making to the area from you know North 38th in Arlington all the way down to 38th in Keystone to 38th in Muller. You know, the organization is making an impact uh in the city, and it it shows and you can see it. And then finally, just as a point of personal privilege, I'd like to wish uh trustee drummer a happy early birthday. His birthday's on Monday. And AI warned you I was gonna do it.

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