The Oceana County Medical Care Facility (OCMCF) board accepted the resignation of OCMCF Administrator Kurt Sapp at a special meeting on Dec. 3. In attendance were Board Chair Linda East and members Larry VanSickle and Dale Danes, the latter of whom attended the meeting virtually.
Larry VanSickle moved to accept Sapp’s resignation “with regrets” and “wishing him well in future endeavors.” The motion was seconded by Dale Danes, and unanimously approved by all three board members.
Also present was Human Resources Manager Brenda Jones, who led much of the discussion regarding posting the job opening and finding an interim administrator. While Sapp’s notice was for 30 days, putting his leaving at the end of the year, it is possible the facility would require an interim administrator for up to two months when considering the length of the search for a permanent replacement and the transition time from one job position to another.
The board approved Jones to research the possible avenues of finding an interim, either through the Michigan Association of Medical Facility Professionals or other independent temporary hiring agencies.
It was the advice of East that the OCMCF department heads come together with HR and the board to create a search committee and that the search would be managed in-house and not outsourced to a recruiting agency. Any new administrator would need to be approved and hired by the board.
Sapp was hired in February of 2024 and was not present at the Dec. 3 meeting.
At the Dec. 15 regular board meeting, Sapp was present, while Danes was absent and excused by the board. The final meeting of the year saw wage increases for all non-union employees of 4% and the approval of the 2026 budget.
OCMCF Financial Controller Cindy Leone noted the labeling of the 2026 budget as an "interim budget” to account for any changes the new administrator may want to make upon their hiring, as well as acknowledgement of ongoing union negotiations. After some examination and discussion of the estimated net operating loss and total facility revenue, both present board members approved the budget.
At the close of the meeting, East thanked Sapp for his efforts on the board’s behalf and wished him well. VanSickle agreed, saying, “I appreciate the time you spent with us…I just feel really bad that we did not provide you with a climate that was easy for you to spend your career.”
