Two months after the sudden firing of president and chief executive officer Joe Woodin, trustees at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital remain behind closed doors, with only scant public statements and little information about the search for a new leader at the Island’s only hospital.

A hospital board meeting was held on July 28, although no public statement was issued following the meeting.

Reached by telephone Thursday, acting chief executive officer and president Timothy Walsh said trustees have begun to take steps to address community concerns that have surfaced this summer.

“We’re moving as fast as we can,” Mr. Walsh said.

A citizen petition began circulating online this week citing lack of confidence in the board of trustees.

“We the undersigned have lost confidence in the current administration and board of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. A significant change in vision, leadership style and board membership is long overdue,” the petition at change.org reads in part. At press time this week the petition had collected 179 signatures. 

In fact there have been board changes, although they have not been formally announced.

Ronald H. Rappaport, a prominent Island attorney, confirmed on Wednesday that he has resigned as a hospital trustee. Mr. Rappaport said he stepped down on July 13. Mr. Rappaport cited differences with the board as the reason.

“I resigned because of several issues relating to governance and the way the board functions,” he said. “I felt that I could not be an effective board member.”

He had no comment on the June 5 termination of Mr. Woodin, and praised the hospital as a vital institution. “The hospital is a significantly better institution than it was a decade ago — the doctors and nurses and the care they provide is excellent,” Mr. Rappaport said. “We need our hospital and it should be supported by this community. I will never do anything that would harm the hospital and I would hope that people will continue to donate and be supportive.”

Other changes to the board of trustees were evident from a revised list posted on the hospital website this week. As previously planned, two new trustees have joined the board: Bill Roman, manager of the Edgartown Yacht Club, and Dr. O’Neill Britton, chief health information for Partners Healthcare. Under hospital bylaws, 20 per cent of board members are appointed by Partners, which owns the hospital.

Trustees continue to exchange emails with a citizen group that formed following the ouster of Mr. Woodin.

After the July 28 board meeting, Mr. Walsh sent a statement to the group responding to a list of questions sent to the board last month.

“The entire board stated the importance of a stronger community involvement with the hospital and its leadership team,” Mr. Walsh wrote in part. He also said the board “wants to move forward quickly”

on forming a community advisory committee, but suggested that was better tackled after the summer is over.

On Thursday, Mr. Walsh said before a community board is appointed, an ad hoc committee on board governance wants to hire an outside consultant for advice. “We really need help figuring out how to you put together a community benefits committee — how do we find the right people,” Mr. Walsh said. He said the ad hoc committee is chaired by trustee Polly Brown, and that two Islanders — Maria Krokidas and Gerald Jones — have been asked to join the group.

Meanwhile, the citizen group, whose members include West Tisbury resident Alan Brigish, responded to trustees this week with a statemen.

“We want to emphasize what we feel is the urgency for transparent two-way communication with the Island community,” the statement says in part. “We ask that the [board of trustees] publicly announce the development of a transparent, ongoing public process to inform and listen to Island residents . . . This communication process should involve multiple platforms, including public meetings, traditional media and social media outlets.”

In a communications misstep, at least one person who had been treated at the hospital received a letter in the mail last month with a patient satisfaction survey to return. The letter was signed by Joe Woodin, dated a month after he had been fired.

Mr. Walsh said Thursday that a strategic planning initiative begun before Mr. Woodin left the hospital remains ongoing.

He confirmed that an invitation went out to a hand-picked group of Islanders seeking their participation in a three-day process late this month hosted by rural hospital consultants at Stroudwater Associates. The invitation outlines three sessions from August 23 to August 25. Mr. Walsh said the people invited include Paddy Moore, a leader in the healthy aging initiative on Island, Oak Bluffs fire chief John Rose, assistant superintendent of schools Richard Smith, Community Services executive director Julie Fay and West Tisbury selectman Cynthia Mitchell.

Mr. Walsh, who retired in 2016 and has returned while trustees conduct a search for a new president and CEO, concluded:

“Beyond everything else is the question of how do we get better communication with the community? If we have learned anything, it’s that we’ve got a long way to go with it.”