McCurtain Memorial Management Inc. Board of Trustees and MMH responds

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

McCurtain Memorial Medical Management, Inc. Board of Trustees and McCurtain Memorial Hospital Administration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 21, 2026

MCCURTAIN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ADDRESSES RECENT STAFFING DECISIONS, FINANCIAL MISINFORMATION AND ONLINE ATTACKS

For nearly three-quarters of a century, McCurtain Memorial Hospital has served the healthcare needs of southeastern Oklahoma. We have cared for generations of local families, visitors to our region and patients who have turned to us during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Our commitment to that mission is as strong today as it has ever been.

So is our resolve.

Today, the Board of Trustees of McCurtain Memorial Medical Management, Inc. and the Administration of McCurtain Memorial Hospital issue this joint statement in response to questions from members of the community and news media concerning current hospital operations, recent staffing reductions and a growing volume of misinformation being circulated online.

We do not issue this statement because anonymous social-media accounts have earned the authority to define this hospital. They have not. We issue it because the people who work here, the patients who depend upon us and the community that supports us deserve facts—not rumors repeated until someone mistakes them for truth.

McCurtain Memorial Hospital will always listen to legitimate criticism. We will answer reasonable questions. We will acknowledge our mistakes when we make them, and we will remain accountable to those we serve. What we will not do is surrender the hospital’s reputation, its employees or its future to individuals who hide behind keyboards, anonymous profiles and self-appointed titles while knowingly spreading falsehoods.

Silence should never be mistaken for weakness.

Professionalism should never be mistaken for fear.

And repetition does not transform a lie into the truth.

TRANSPARENCY REQUIRES FACTS

Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Whitfield have become known for addressing attacks on this hospital directly. Members of the Board have not always agreed with every word, method or tone used in responding to those attacks, and we have communicated that honestly.

We also recognize the extraordinary circumstances under which those responses have occurred.

For years, Mr. Whitfield, our employees and this institution have been subjected to repeated personal attacks, distorted claims and allegations presented without evidence. Even the most measured leader eventually reaches a point at which setting the record straight becomes necessary without always watching his or her tone or delivery of their message.

Mr. Whitfield is a passionate defender of McCurtain Memorial Hospital. His openness regarding hospital operations has been appreciated by many members of this community, and the public has come to expect transparency from this Administration. With a small group criticizing him for speaking out, calling him “unprofessional,” or “arrogant,” there is mass of people in our community and within our workforce asking, “Why are you being quite now?”

This statement continues that commitment.

However, transparency is more than placing the word “transparency” in the title of a social-media group. It requires accuracy, fairness, context and a willingness to correct information when it is shown to be false. Absent facts, its slander and defamatory with no other objective but to incite.

A platform that permits unverified accusations against employees, executives, families, public officials and businesses is not practicing transparency. It is providing a stage for rumor. With all due respect, those who have enjoyed their show, their 15 minutes of fame are over.

There was a time when gossip traveled only as far as a coffee shop or neighborhood gathering. Social media now allows a false accusation to circle a community within minutes. Reputations can be damaged before the truth has an opportunity to leave the room. We have become increasingly concerned by a culture in which humiliation generates engagement, anger generates shares and cruelty is disguised as accountability.

We reject that culture.

Some of the loudest online criticism has originated from individuals who previously worked for the hospital and separated from employment under circumstances involving performance, policy, conduct or accountability. Others participate through anonymous or false profiles. Some describe themselves as journalists while displaying little interest in verification, balance or correction.

Because the hospital respects employee privacy and its legal obligations, we will not publicly disclose confidential personnel records merely to win an argument online. Our refusal to expose former employees’ private information should not be mischaracterized as an inability to respond.

The hospital maintains standards.

Employees are expected to perform the duties for which they were hired, follow hospital policies, protect patient dignity, provide appropriate care and treat patients, families and coworkers with respect.

Accountability is not retaliation.

Enforcing standards is not bullying.

Protecting patients is not optional.

PRESIDENT AND CEO BRIAN WHITFIELD

The Board is fully aware of Mr. Whitfield’s history.

Mr. Whitfield joined McCurtain Memorial Hospital in February 2022 as Human Resources Director. Like other employees, he underwent the background and reference checks required by hospital policy and applicable law.

Mr. Whitfield also voluntarily disclosed information concerning his past that he was not legally obligated to disclose nor that returned in a background check performed. He did so in the interest of complete transparency.

The Board considered all available information, including his qualifications, experience, references and disclosures, before appointing him Interim Chief Executive Officer.

Within weeks, the Board witnessed his immediate response to the hospital’s financial distress, operational instability, workplace culture and numerous urgent matters threatening the organization. The decision proved to be the right one. We do not regret appointing Mr. Whitfield, and based upon his performance, we would make that decision again.

In addition to the hospital’s review, Mr. Whitfield has undergone screenings connected with participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other governmental healthcare programs, including enrollments in multiple states. Mr. Whitfield has a past. He also has a story of accountability, perseverance and restoration.

Unfortunately, personal history can inspire some people while providing ammunition to others who prefer destruction over redemption. The Board evaluated Mr. Whitfield based upon the complete person, the qualifications he brought to the hospital and, ultimately, the results he delivered. We refuse to join the limited chorus to tear this man down.

The present Board did not initially hire Mr. Whitfield. It has, however, reviewed his performance, approved his continued service and supported his contracts during its tenure We stand by those decisions.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Board of Trustees

Members of the McCurtain Memorial Medical Management, Inc. Board of Trustees receive no compensation for their service. We are volunteers. We serve because we love this hospital, its employees and the community that depends upon it.

Hospital Administration

The hospital Administration consists of seven executives and two administrative support positions. The following table reflects annual compensation for the years in which each served:

Mrs. Ray’s position was recently restructured and she was placed as director of nursing on the Medical/Surgical Unit.*These individuals are considered support staff to Administration

______________________________________________________________________________Hospital wages and salaries are evaluated using compensation surveys and market information that include comparable healthcare organizations throughout the United States.

Recent online statements have suggested that no individual working in McCurtain County should earn more than $100,000 annually. That assertion ignores the education, experience, professional liability, operational complexity and accountability associated with leading a hospital. Compensation must be evaluated according to the position—not a ZIP code. Four of the executives at the hospital are also Registered Nurses.

A hospital executive does not carry less responsibility simply because the hospital is rural. In our case, rural hospital leaders carry broader responsibilities because fewer individuals are available to divide the work. National compensation information demonstrates that the hospital’s executive team is compensated below many comparable healthcare executives. Hospital presidents and chief executive officers commonly earn several hundred thousand dollars annually, with significantly higher compensation at larger hospitals and health systems. Chief financial officers, chief nursing officers, chief operating officers and compliance executives also command substantial compensation in the national healthcare market.

The CEO’s compensation is established by the Board. Compensation for other members of Administration is established through the hospital’s management process and informed by market data, organizational performance, duties and experience. All executives started at lower-level salaries and as they grew in knowledge, sought additional degrees, certificates and education – they were rewarded with additional pay. Master’s and bachelors degrees were obtained, certifications specific to rural hospitals were obtained and last we checked, there simply wasn’t a large pool of people to draw from to fill those roles prior to the current team.

We commend Mr. Whitfield for identifying talent, developing it, and driving them to be better.

As debt was eliminated, revenue increased and services expanded, compensation was adjusted to recognize increased responsibility and performance. That is not misconduct. That is how responsible organizations retain qualified leadership.

Members of Administration are not confined to executive offices. They routinely work 50 to 60 hours each week, including nights, weekends and emergencies. In addition to their primary roles, they supervise departments, manage employees, address regulatory obligations and respond to operational issues across more than 40 hospital departments and service areas. Unlike most of us who enjoy a 40-hour work week, clock out and go home, our executive team must be available 24/7/365 for every late-night decision or emergency. They’re the ones coordinating a community response following a tornado, opening the hospital for the community to seek shelter. They’re the ones trained and prepared to respond to crisis not only within their walls but our towns.

Every month, thousands of people rely upon the hospital, emergency department, outpatient services and Rural Health Clinics. Running that operation requires qualified people. Hospital executives receive no benefit that is categorically unavailable to other eligible employees. In several years, employees received wage increases while some members of Administration received none – or their increases were delayed beyond when other employees received them.

The suggestion that hospital employees were deprived so executives could enrich themselves is false. Equally, we reject the notion that we pay a fair market rate to a nurse for her incredible work, but when times are hard, we strip her of her pay. The same ties to the executive team. Their duties nor responsibilities did not reduce. In fact, when staff must be leaner, they take on that much more responsibility with no additional pay.

JULY 17 STAFFING REDUCTIONS

The recent staffing reductions were not made casually, quickly or without concern for those affected. For weeks, Administration evaluated options to reduce expenses, increase revenue and prepare for potential reductions in healthcare funding. On July 3, 2026, the hospital learned that the Oklahoma Health Care Authority was proposing more than $218 million in reductions affecting Oklahoma hospitals. The announcement was devastating. Rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals already operate on narrow margins. A significant reduction in reimbursement threatens services, staffing, benefits and, in some communities, the continued existence of the hospital itself. McCurtain Memorial Hospital could not responsibly ignore that threat.

An initial list of approximately 20 positions was considered. That list was reviewed and revised repeatedly as Administration worked to reduce the number of employees affected.

Ultimately, the following staffing reductions were implemented:

• Two Maintenance positions

• One Case Management position

• One Environmental Services position

• Two Administrative Support positions

• One Materials Management position

• One Auxiliary position

• One Security position

• Two Business Office positions

• One Nursing Administration position
  

Three affected employees were offered alternative positions in other departments. One accepted.

Additionally, two nursing leadership positions and one department management position were restructured, with the individuals in those roles reassigned to direct staffing responsibilities within their departments.

These decisions were painful. One affected employee is one too many. But leadership sometimes requires choosing between a painful decision today and a catastrophic outcome tomorrow. The changes announced on Friday, July 17, were part of a broader review of staffing, salaries, expenses and benefits. Before the hospital had an opportunity to fully explain those decisions, an online narrative had already been written by keyboard warriors with grand ideas that the cuts were the result of the CEO using the money to pay for his new house or another vehicle.

That narrative included false claims regarding how employees were selected. One frequently repeated accusation involves a longtime employee who had previously announced plans to retire. The employee initially identified an earlier retirement date and later extended it through July 31. The hospital accepted the retirement shortly before the anticipated departure date rather than eliminating another position in the same department. No accrued Paid-Time Off, retirement-related payment or benefit to which the employee was entitled was withheld.

That context was absent from the online outrage.

Other staffing decisions considered operational need, position duplication, tenure, performance, disciplinary history, departmental structure and the hospital’s ability to continue providing essential services.

Discipline was not a factor in every decision.

The reductions are expected to save the hospital approximately $2million annually, including salaries, wages, payroll expenses and benefits. These were not decisions made by people who do not care. They were made by leaders who understand that preserving this hospital requires action before a financial crisis becomes irreversible.

ADDITIONAL COST-REDUCTION MEASURES

Staffing reductions are not the only measures being taken. Administration is conducting a line-by-line review of hospital expenses and evaluating:

• Vendor agreements

• Rental arrangements

• Equipment leases

• Service contracts

• Purchasing practices

• Supply costs

• Insurance expenses

• Administrative expenses

• Short-term and long-term cost-saving opportunities
  

That review remains underway. When the analysis is complete, the hospital will provide additional information regarding the savings identified and measures implemented. The burden of financial adjustment will not be placed solely upon frontline employees. Every area of the organization is being examined.

HOSPITAL RENOVATIONS

Online accusations have alleged that Mr. Whitfield’s father performed or profited from the hospital’s interior renovations.

That statement is false.

Mr. Whitfield’s father did not perform the hospital’s flooring, painting or interior remodeling work and received no payment for those projects. In fact, minus money he spent eating our Café, Mr. Whitfield’s father has never stepped foot into the hospital. The flooring, painting and related renovation work were completed by contractors from the Dallas, Texas area after pricing was compared with other available estimates locally.

The total cost of hospital rehabilitation completed to date is $1.225 million

No loan was obtained to complete the renovations. The work was paid for through hospital revenue and operating funds. The hospital has worked deliberately to improve its facilities without assuming unnecessary debt. Those renovations were not cosmetic indulgences. They were investments in patient care, employee working conditions, recruitment, safety and the long-term viability of the hospital. We are proud of the work that has been done and credit Mr. Whitfield for seeing after it and doing so as cost-effective as he possibly could. To ridicule him now for doing so is just plain malicious.

Local plumbing and HVAC contractors were also used for portions of the work. Those contractors included:

• Shannon Daves $115,582.00 - Plumbing

• Joe’s Heat & Air $7,650.00 - HVAC

• Lone Star Heat & Air $15,480.00 - HVAC
  

The total cost of plumbing and HVAC work was $138,712.00

Community Center

Mr. Whitfield’s father did perform construction work associated with the Community Center located on the hospital campus. Before that work began, the hospital obtained estimates averaging approximately $155,000. Mr. Whitfield’s father, who has experience in metal roofing and exterior construction, completed the primary structure for $32,750.00, substantially below other estimates received.

Local vendors were used for HVAC and concrete work:

• HVAC: $8,850.00

• Concrete: $23,000.00

• Other local work: $24,542.48
  

Mr. Whitfield removed himself from payment approval and project inspection responsibilities to address potential conflict-of-interest concerns. The Board was aware of the relationship and the work being performed and we approved every payment made.

The project saved the hospital money.

Mr. Whitfield’s father reduced labor expenses and supplied certain tools and equipment to assist the hospital. Anyone who questions whether the hospital obtained value is welcome to compare the completed structure with current construction pricing. We are confident in the result and the savings – as well as the craftsmanship of the overall work.

FALSE CLAIM REGARDING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AIR CONDITIONING

An online post alleged that Mr. Whitfield entered the Emergency Department and turned off the air conditioning to save money.

That allegation is entirely false.

At no time during his employment has Mr. Whitfield turned off the hospital’s air-conditioning system, instructed another person to turn it off or exercised control over the hospital’s HVAC system for the alleged purpose. Mr. Whitfield does not operate the system and is not responsible for its controls. Hospital heating and air-conditioning systems are managed by the Maintenance Department. The relevant controls are not located in the Emergency Department as alleged.

This accusation was not a misunderstanding. It was invented. It was a lie.

FALSE CLAIM REGARDING A $500,000 STRUCTURE

Another online allegation claims that the hospital constructed a building costing more than $500,000 and later sold it to Mr. Whitfield for approximately $127,000.

That is categorically false.

McCurtain Memorial Hospital has not constructed a $500,000 structure and sold it to Mr. Whitfield. The hospital has never sold Mr. Whitfield, any member of his family or any related party a building or structure of any kind. No documentation has been produced to support the allegation because no such transaction occurred.

This is not a difference of interpretation. It is a false statement. It is a lie.

MOBILE MEDICAL UNIT

Online posts have also claimed that the hospital spent $500,000 on its Mobile Medical Unit.

That claim is false.

The hospital purchased the previously owned Mobile Medical Unit for $170,000. The seller originally sought a higher price. Mr. Whitfield negotiated a reduced purchase amount and required the seller to pay for the unit’s full-color exterior wrap. No loan was obtained. The Mobile Medical Unit was purchased with hospital funds as part of a strategy to expand access to care, reach underserved communities and generate additional revenue without incurring the substantial expense of constructing and maintaining multiple brick-and-mortar facilities.

The unit is intended to serve communities including:

• Smithville

• Eagletown

• Haworth

• Other rural and underserved areas of McCurtain County
  

Many residents face transportation challenges and cannot easily travel to the hospital or one of its clinics. The Mobile Medical Unit allows healthcare services to travel to them. It is not a symbol of waste. It is an investment in access, growth and rural healthcare delivery. Contrary to claims that the unit will remain parked and deteriorate, it is scheduled to provide services in Haworth and additional communities thereafter. Those predicting its failure before it begins are not offering analysis. They are rooting against their own hospital.

We invite the community to do the opposite.

THE HOSPITAL’S FINANCIAL CONDITION

McCurtain Memorial Hospital is not in financial ruin. The hospital does not carry long-term loan debt. The hospital is not delinquent with local, regional or national vendors or major supply companies. The hospital pays its obligations and has consistently done so since emerging from the severe financial and operational conditions that existed when Mr. Whitfield assumed leadership. The hospital’s financial records are maintained, audited and reported as required.

Staffing reductions do not prove that a hospital is insolvent. Responsible organizations adjust expenses when reimbursement conditions change, risks increase or projections require action. Waiting until cash is exhausted is not leadership. It is negligence.

This Administration is acting now because it intends for McCurtain Memorial Hospital to remain open, independent and capable of serving this community well into the future. That is precisely what we hired Brian Whitfield to do.

FALSE CLAIMS REGARDING MR. WHITFIELD’S HOME

Online accusations have alleged that the hospital purchased, financed or contributed to Mr. Whitfield’s personal residence.

That is false.

Mr. Whitfield has never received a housing allowance from McCurtain Memorial Hospital. For most of his life, Mr. Whitfield resided in Texas. During his years of employment with the hospital, he frequently stayed in Idabel during the workweek and returned to Texas on weekends to be with his wife and daughter. The local residence he previously used was privately owned by a physician who is not affiliated with the hospital.

After years of commuting and spending significant time away from his family, Mr. Whitfield made the personal decision to relocate his family to Idabel. The hospital did not purchase his home. The hospital did not make a down payment. The hospital did not provide him money for closing costs, rent, mortgage payments, furniture, improvements or any other personal housing expense. The details of whether he purchased or rented his residence, what he paid and how his family manages its personal finances are not matters of legitimate public concern and frankly, their none of anyone’s business.

For years, some critics attacked Mr. Whitfield because he was not originally from McCurtain County. They claimed he should relocate if he intended to be part of the community. Now that he and his family have relocated, some of those same voices have manufactured a new accusation to attack them for doing precisely what they once demanded.

That contradiction speaks for itself.

More troubling is the conduct of individuals who have reportedly driven around his residence, photographed his home and personal belongings and posted images involving his wife and minor daughter.

That behavior is unacceptable and illegal.

A disagreement regarding hospital operations does not justify surveilling a family, photographing a child or attempting to intimidate people at their home. We call upon every decent member of this community—regardless of whether you support Mr. Whitfield—to reject that conduct and to reject the blatant assault on him, our hospital, our employees and our community. Enough is enough.

There must remain a line between public debate and personal harassment. That line has been crossed.

OUR MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY

McCurtain Memorial Hospital is not perfect. Neither is its Board. Neither is its Administration. Neither is its President and CEO.

Like every organization composed of human beings, we have made decisions we might approach differently with the benefit of hindsight. When we fail, we will admit it. When we fall short, we will accept responsibility. When criticism is fair, we will listen.

But we will not confess to things we did not do merely to satisfy an online mob. We will not allow anonymous accounts to dictate personnel decisions, financial strategy or hospital policy. We will not release confidential employee information to entertain social-media audiences. We will not apologize for holding people accountable. We will not apologize for expecting professionalism. We will not apologize for reducing expenses when necessary to preserve the hospital. We will not apologize for investing in services designed to strengthen the hospital and expand access to care…

… and we will not allow lies to become our story simply because they are repeated loudly. Our voice and that of this community is louder and we intend to be heard.

The work of operating a hospital is extraordinarily complex. It involves extensive regulation, documentation, reimbursement rules, staffing requirements, clinical standards, legal obligations, financial controls and constant operational demands. Members of the Board have gained a profound appreciation for what occurs behind these walls every hour of every day. We are proud of the employees who have dedicated their time, talents and careers to McCurtain Memorial Hospital.

We are proud of the nurses, providers, technicians, therapists, support staff, environmental services workers, maintenance employees, registration teams, business office staff, food service employees, emergency personnel and countless others who make patient care possible.

We are also proud of an Administration willing to make difficult decisions when circumstances demand them. Leadership is not measured by whether every decision is popular. It is measured by whether leaders are willing to protect the institution entrusted to them, especially when doing so carries a personal cost.

We deeply regret that employees were affected by the recent reductions. Each person represents a life, a family and a contribution to this hospital. We do not minimize that. Hospitals throughout the United States are confronting layoffs, service reductions, financial distress and closure. Oklahoma is not immune. Rural hospitals are particularly vulnerable because reimbursement reductions, labor costs and regulatory burdens affect organizations with already narrow margins. This is the moment when a community must decide whether it will help preserve its hospital or participate in tearing it apart.

We ask our supporters to stand with us. Stand with the employees who continue reporting to work every day. Stand with the providers who care for patients at all hours. Stand with the families who need an Emergency Department close to home. Stand with the elderly patient who cannot travel two hours for care. Stand with the parent whose child becomes sick in the middle of the night. Stand with the rural communities that deserve access to healthcare.

Stand up against tyranny. Leave the gossip forums filled with garbage, hate, slander, and tyranny. We all should stand against bullies.

Support does not require blind agreement. It requires fairness, truth and a recognition that destroying confidence in a rural hospital has consequences far beyond a social-media post or the complete tear-down of a single man and his team trying to save our hospital.

Those who have questions should ask them. Those who have evidence should present it. Those who identify a legitimate concern should report it through the proper channels.

But those who knowingly spread false accusations, attack families, invent financial transactions and hide behind anonymous profiles should understand this clearly:

McCurtain Memorial Hospital will not be bullied into silence. We will correct the record. We will defend our employees. We will defend our leadership when the facts support them. We will defend the reputation of this institution. And we will continue doing the difficult work required to keep healthcare available in southeastern Oklahoma.

This hospital was not saved by anonymous commentary.

It was saved by people who showed up, took responsibility, made difficult decisions and refused to quit. That same resolve remains alive today. The Board continues to support Mr. Whitfield so long as he continues leading the hospital responsibly and in the right direction. We will also continue standing behind the employees whose skill, compassion and dedication make McCurtain Memorial Hospital worthy of defending.

The work is not finished, and neither are we. We invite this community to reject rumor, demand truth and stand with the people working every day to preserve local healthcare. McCurtain Memorial Hospital will not permit others to write its story through lies.

We are still here. We are still serving. We are still moving forward. And we are not backing down. We’ve been doing this for almost 75 years – there’s no chance we’re stopping now. Thos sitting and waiting for our demise should have packed a sack lunch… it’s going to be while folks.