PORT ANGELES — Cindy Witham has resigned, effective immediately, from the Olympic Medical Center Board of Commissioners, citing “irreconcilable differences” over policies.
Witham was absent from Wednesday’s board meeting at which the other six hospital commissioners voted 4-2 to have the medical center and its facilities “opt out” of participating in the state’s new “Death with Dignity” assisted suicide law.
The law went into effect Thursday after winning voter approval last November. It allows hospitals and physicians to choose whether or not they want to take part in assisting terminally ill patients with drugs to end their lives.
Witham said her resignation — which was announced by board president Jim Leskinovitch at the end of Wednesday’s board meeting — had to do with “outstanding irreconcilable differences involving the board and various policies.”
She would not elaborate.
But she added that her resignation had nothing to do with the “Death with Dignity” vote.
She said she would have voted for the medical center “not to participate. This is not a hospital issue. It would have been emotionally destructive to hospital staff.”
Witham spoke with the Peninsula Daily News by telephone from Santa Barbara, Calif., where she was visiting her daughter.
“Cindy was a hard-working, fiscally conservative board member,” said Eric Lewis, CEO of Olympic Medical Center, in a statement released Thursday by the hospital.
“She had many accomplishments while on the board, including making the VA Clinic a reality. We thank her for her service to OMC and the community.”
Witham, 57, of Port Angeles, defeated incumbent Dr. Jorgen Quistgaard for a seat on the board in November 2005. Her term would have expired in 2011.
Her election occurred after a well-publicized battle between OMC and Witham’s husband, Dr. Robert Witham, in 2004.
Robert Witham, a cancer specialist, accused OMC officials of trying to monopolize cancer treatment in Clallam County and keep him from being part of the new Olympic Medical Cancer Center. The sides later reached a settlement.
Cindy Witham served on several boards at OMC, including the advocacy committee, executive quality control, strategic planning committee, bylaws committee, veterans committee and budget and audit committee.
“Cindy made valuable contributions to the board, the community, veterans and the hospital,” Leskinovitch said in the statement.
“We will miss her perspective on the challenging issues that face our health care system.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
