JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The North Dakota State Hospital Governing Body met Monday for their final quarterly meeting in 2020.

Human Resource Officer Bobbie Miller gave the latest in the hospitals annual HR report. She stated that they are currently going through a bidding process to declare another recruiting agency for providers for the next two years.

She added that the major need for recruitment comes from their nursing department.

Miller says the hospital “competes” with many agencies in Stutsman County for the same people they need in the nursing department.

QM Director Deb Eissinger later gave a report on COVID-19 testing.

Superintendent Dr. Rosalie Etherington highlighted that although 33% of their staff have had COVID-19, the rate for clients has been low in spite of the high number.

She says based on total admissions, their average infection rate has only been as high as .5%, compared to the highest peak of 16% in the community. Etherington credits their restrictions and procedures for the low infection rate.

Dr. Etherington added they would be receiving around 200 doses of Moderna Vaccine for their staff. She says if staff is willing, they’d be able to vaccinate all staff in a short period of time.

Dr. Etherington later spoke on the Governor’s budget that included the need to build a new State Hospital in Jamestown. She says costly repairs far outweigh the cost of just building a new hospital at this time.

The next meeting is scheduled for March 8th, 2021.