Ivan Donald McCourt, prior Board Chair of Carbon Medical Services, passed away on March 27, 2011. His obituary in the Sun Advocate can be viewed here.
Ivan was always supportive in making sure that health care was provided in the area. He was an active member of Carbon Medical for many years during the time that the clinic was supported by the United Mine Workers. In those days you had to be a member of Carbon Medical Service in order to vote or be on the Board of Directors. Ivan was finally voted to serve on the Board of Directors in 1984. He then served as Vice President for 3 years and had been Board Chair for 24 years.
During Ivan’s terms of serving on the Board and finally being in the Chairman role, he saw many changes in the communities in which Carbon Medical Service provided services. The bankruptcies and shut downs of the major coal mining industry in the area made the clinic come very close to closure and the end of an era of providing health care in the county. This would have been a major blow to the elderly retired miners living in the area that had depended on the clinic not only for their medical needs, but their Pharmacy needs. Carbon Medical Service has been providing health care since 1952.
The Board with the guidance of Ivan supported desperate efforts undertaken by the Executive Director, Yvonne Jensen, to become a Federally Qualified Health Center and in April 1992 Carbon Medical Service was the first Federally Qualified Health Center Look-a- Like under the new federal regulations in the state of Utah. The clinic received their first federal funding in the fall of that year.
Ivan’s role as Board Chairman was to assist the Board in their transition from a volunteer Board of Directors in a non-profit to a Board of Directors that now had “Federal Expectations” in a different focus role. Ivan was a “true Leader”. A ‘true Leader” has seven personal qualities that fit Ivan to a tee.
- He showed exemplary character. He “walked the talk” and earned the respect of others.
- He was enthusiastic about the cause and his role as leader.
- He was confident in leading and setting the direction for the rest of the Board.
- He had the ability to function in an orderly & purposeful manner in situations of uncertainty.
- He was tolerant and able to remain calm, composed and steadfast to the main purpose of the organization.
- He always kept the main goal for the organization in focus even though it was took small steps to realize the end result.
- He was always committed to excellence.
There has been very little turn over in the Board and Ivan has always had his “Robert’s Rules” that he has leaned on. The Board had a lot of admiration for him and looked to Ivan for his wisdom. He was truly a role model for future Board members and others who looked to him for his knowledge. Other community health center’s boards in the state and on the national level have looked to Ivan as a model Board Leader.
Carbon Medical Service has added many services to the community health center since 1992. It has provided Branch Pharmacy services to Green Medical Center – 60 miles away. A conference room was added onto the clinic, including updated heating and air conditioning throughout the clinic with a CDBG grant. In June of 2003 a satellite clinic was acquired in Helper, Utah, which is 35 miles away. That clinic is currently being totally renovated utilizing Federal Stimulus Money. Periodic dental services are part of another endeavor with two other rural CHCs. Behavioral Health Services available with efforts of collaboration with two other rural CHCs. CMSA has become JCAHO Accredited and the laboratory is also accredited. CMSA has become part of the Utah Health Choice Network. As a member of the network, Electronic Health Records has been implemented in both of CMSA’s clinics. The CMSA organization had been very proactive under the guidance of Ivan. The organization has been involved with the State Primary Care Association and others who support the community health concept.
He and the Executive Director, Yvonne Jensen, made a pact a few years ago that he would stay for 10 years, if she would stay 10 more years in her job. Ivan stepped down from the Board Chair role in March 2010 because of his health. He will still be guiding the board even in his absence because he left a legacy for other to follow.
