Health District Search Begins For New CEO

DAYTON - Columbia County Health Systems Chair Ted Paterson fully expected the hospital board's retreat this Thursday to be about budgets, the recent rural hospital conference in Spokane and .CEO Charlie Button's contract renewal.

But Paterson and other board members set the retreat agenda before Button resigned from his post on March 10, so now the five-member body that governs the public health district for Dayton and Waitsburg will have a new priority to discuss: finding Button's replacement.

"It's not going to happen overnight," said Patterson, who joined the board after Button was hired. "...