ANTELOPE VALLEY HOSPITAL OFFICIAL RIDING THE STORM OUT.

Byline: Bettie Rencoret Senior columnist

``I'm not a politician. I'm really not,'' laughed Antelope Valley Hospital board member Shirley Sayles, whose years in office since her election in 1994 have been steeped in controversy.

``I think the desire to serve on any governing board all boils down to motivation,'' she said. ``Mine has always been very simple: I want Antelope Valley Hospital to remain a valuable asset for the people who use it. I don't have any other agenda or purpose in mind.''

Sayles, a retired nursing administrator who has so far weathered the wave of criticism surrounding the much-publicized salary of Administrator Bob Harenski - $536,000 last year - says the swell of disapproval has not been completely unfounded.

``It's a lot of money, but unfortunately, most people don't realize what we have had to look at here,'' she said. ``We all agree that salaries for good administrators are outrageous these days. So is the money pulled down by star athletes. You wonder how they can possibly be worth those horrendous figures, yet that's what they get.''

She called attention to the hospital's past years of mismanagement, its improved financial status and the deleterious effect that would result from changing administrators at this time.

``We didn't have a lot of options,'' Sayles said. ``When administrators everywhere are getting six-figure salaries, it is hard to be competitive. After a lot of hard work, we were able to negotiate a base figure more in line with the going rate and reach an agreement on the benefits package.''

At the board's Dec. 21 meeting, Sayles joined the majority in voting 3-2 to award Harenski a new contract. Terms of the contract included a base salary at $285,000, with benefits that can raise his total yearly income to $299,400 plus paid holidays, sick leave, vacation time and a possible bonus.

They also told him to repay $100,513 he was paid last year.

``That's much less than it was,'' she said. ``It's not perfect, but what is?''

Sayles says quality of patient care is what is most important to her, but she also believes the hospital must play a larger role in the community. She points to a hospital-sponsored program in which health workers go into schools to teach asthmatic children how to manage their disease and to a child-abuse prevention program approved in December by the board.

``We are sold on this program because we have seen some good results in Hawaii,'' she said. ``Ours will be patterned after theirs, which has shown remarkable results.''

Sayles, a native of Ashtabula, Ohio, graduated in 1957 from St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing in Cleveland, received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Redlands in 1976 and in 1978 got her master's degree from California State University, Los Angeles.

Her husband, Gerry, graduated in 1956 from the Case Institute of Technology with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and went to work in rocket propulsion for the Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

They were married Sept. 21, 1957, at Ashtabula's Edgewood Presbyterian Church when she was right out of nursing school. Two years later, Gerry was transferred, with his entire unit, to Edwards Air Force Base, and they came to Lancaster to live.

Gerry has not yet retired, but he does work shorter hours these days.

While they were raising their two children, Debora Riggle of Grand Junction, Colo., and Bruce Sayles of Woodland Hills, Shirley worked as a part-time staff nurse at Antelope Valley Hospital. In the early 1970s she went full time and soon became head nurse in charge of the coronary care unit as a prelude to taking charge of all the critical-care units.

``I really enjoyed my work,'' she said.

For a few months she was director of in-service education and taught classes on clinical subjects for the hospital staff. At the same time, she taught in the allied health department at Antelope Valley College.

She taught continuing education courses and the emergency medical technician course and did quite a bit of teaching in critical care, showing nurses how to read cardiac monitors and interpret electrocardiograms.

``They weren't taught to do that in their basic training then,'' she said. ``They are now.''

Finally, in 1980, Sayles was chosen to be the assistant administrator in charge of nursing.

``My title and some of my duties changed through the ensuing years, but that's basically where I was when I retired in July 1993,'' she said.

She spent the next year and a half enjoying her retirement and totally shunning health care. She ran for a board seat and was elected in 1994.

``I can't possibly be responsible for all the things I'm accused of,'' she said with a laugh. ``Blame for those that happened before I came on the board belongs to someone else. I hate to burst bubbles, but I can only answer for things that have taken place since I took my seat in December 1994.

``I'm sure my detractors will find plenty more to harp on before they are through with me. This salary thing will probably be only one of them.''

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LANCASTER - New officers and board members will be elected Jan. 26 at the annual meeting of the Friends of the Center.

The meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room of the Antelope Valley Senior Center, 777 W. Jackman St.

``We've really accomplished a lot, and we can still do a lot more,'' said Larry Skaggs, outgoing president, as he urged all members to attend, pay their $2 annual dues, have some refreshments and get involved.

``Serving as your president has been an education and a pleasure,'' he said. ``I've been able to expand my horizons and take advantage of opportunities but, more than anything else, I've had a chance meet and work with some really great people.''

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LANCASTER - Menus for the week at the senior life nutrition sites in Lancaster, Palmdale and Pearblossom have been announced. All meals include bread, margarine and coffee, tea or milk for the suggested donation of $2.

Monday: Closed. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Tuesday: Sweet-and-sour pork chops, rice pilaf, carrot coins, marinated vegetables, pudding.

Wednesday: Chili egg puff, chili beans, Italian vegetables, tossed salad, peaches.

Thursday: Barbecued chicken, noodles Romanoff, Normandy vegetables, garden salad, cheesecake.

Friday: Meatloaf, gravy, mashed potatoes, corn, Jell-O salad with fruit, bananas.

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PHOTO Shirley Sayles has dealt with a storm of criticism in her three years on the Antelope Valley Hospital board.

Bettie Rencoret/Special to the Daily News