San Juan Regional names 2026-27 board; Anna Buffington named chair

San Juan Regional Medical Center has announced its 2026–27 Board of Directors and slate of officers, naming longtime board member and retired hospital employee Anna Buffington as chair. The board roster, SJRMC said, was approved by our corporation members at their quarterly meeting and will guide governance for the community‑owned, nonprofit hospital through the 2026–27 term.

The official roster names Anna Buffington as Chair; Hyla Calcote as Vice Chair; Dr. Joseph Pope as Secretary; Sara Kaynor as Immediate Past Chair; Jon Moore, Esther Greyeyes, Leslie Thompson and Megan Cullip as members; Kristine Carlson‑Werito as a member; Linda Benson as Auxiliary Representative; James Boyd, MD, FACS as Chief of Staff; and Erin Philpott, DO as Vice Chief of Staff. The listing emphasizes community representation and organizational ties within San Juan County.

Several biographies and role details in the announcement underline operational and clinical continuity. Anna Buffington represents Women’s Cancer Support Groups and has served the hospital for many years as both staff and board member. James Boyd, MD, FACS is a general and bariatric surgeon with San Juan Health Partners General Surgery and San Juan Regional Medical Center’s Metabolic and Bariatric Institute; he was promoted to Chief of Staff after two years as Vice Chief of Staff. Erin Philpott, DO is a hospitalist and director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program and will serve as Vice Chief of Staff. Kristine Carlson‑Werito is a licensed clinical social worker who represents Totah Behavioral Health and serves as regional behavioral health clinical manager for Presbyterian Medical Services, overseeing clinical operations across the Northwest System; she fills the seat vacated by Debbie Joslin, who left the board after two years.

The announcement also notes recent departures: Debbie Joslin moved off the board after two years of service, and Shaña Reeves left the board after five years. Dr. David Devitre, who served as Vice Chief of Staff in 2023 and Chief of Staff in 2024 and 2025, is succeeded by James Boyd in the chief role.

Jason Rounds, president and CEO of SJRMC, thanked board members for their service: “Thank you to our outstanding board members for your invaluable contributions to our community‑owned, nonprofit hospital.” The hospital’s corporate structure is described as composed of community members representing non-profit organizations throughout San Juan County, and the announcement reiterates that any non-profit organization in San Juan County is encouraged to appoint two representatives to serve as members of the corporation.

For San Juan County residents, the new board means local nonprofits and volunteers will continue directing hospital priorities that affect everything from surgical services to behavioral health capacity. The announcement did not include a specific date for the corporation meeting that approved the board or exact start and end dates for the 2026–27 term; SJRMC may provide those details as the board settles into its work.