BROKEN BOW—Reports of smoke and fire were issued just before 11 a.m. on Monday at the
Jennie M. Melham Memorial Medical Center (JMMMMC). Fire alarms went off and Broken Bow Fire and Rescue, Police, and EMS teams were on the scene.
Outgoing CEO Mike Steckler and
incoming CEO Veronica Schmidt reported that there was no smoke or fire; rather it was a Freon leak that set off the alarms. The cooling agent reportedly leaked from a coil in the Specialty Clinic. Roughly six exam rooms were affected and patient care was continued to a different part of the building. No injuries were reported.
Steckler said the Freon is EPA-rated safe and there were no other interruptions to patient care. Fire crews used fans to clear the air.
Starting her career as the new CEO at
JMMMMC, Schmidt described the morning’s excitement as “just a small disruption.”
“Definitely not expecting it but it was nice to see the immediate response. The staff handled it appropriately and had great response from the communities so the police and fire department were here quickly, it was nice to see,” Schmidt said.
Veronica Schmidt studied in South Dakota and brings with her 22 years of diverse healthcare experience. Most recently, she spent the last six years as CEO at a critical access hospital in Custer, South Dakota. Monday’s incident was nothing new for Schmidt and she was glad to begin meeting community officials.
“It was a great, obviously a big welcome for my first four hours here but it’s been fantastic. I cannot wait to get imbedded in the community and get to know everybody and call this home,” Schmidt said.
This week marks the end of a chapter for Mike Steckler as he passes the torch to Schmidt.
“My last week and it’s a great welcome for Veronica. You know, we were going to have a parade, but the fire department is already here so we won’t do that. This is great, it’s a great opportunity for her to get started and meet the people in the community. We’re going to try to get 32 years’ worth of knowledge imparted in a week and try to share as much as I can and help out, get her off on a good start,” Steckler said.
