ferriday &8212; When the Concordia Parish Hospital Service District board of directors meets Jan. 31, it will welcome Larry Chauvin as a new member.

Chauvin was nominated by the board, which operates Riverland Medical Center, in its December meeting and appointed by the Concordia Parish Police Jury in its Jan. 9 meeting.

&8220;We&8217;re glad to have Larry on the board, he brings a lot of business experience,&8221; Riverland Administrator Vernon Stevens said.

Chauvin, a Vidalia resident, owns and operates Computer & Supply on Carter Street and has an interest in River View RV Park and Resort. He graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a degree in business.

&8220;I&8217;m very excited and hope I can be an asset to them,&8221; he said.

While Chauvin has a business background, he lacks experience in the medical field. He said he expressed interest in the unpaid position to help out the community but that he didn&8217;t know what to expect from his first meeting.

&8220;It&8217;s a brand new experience for me but my mind&8217;s going to be open,&8221; he said. &8220;That meeting is when I&8217;m going to find out what I&8217;ve gotten myself into.&8221;

The last two appointees to the Riverland board have been subjects of Louisiana Board of Ethics investigations for possible conflicts of interest.

In July, the ethics board sent Stevens an opinion stating that Tommy Massey could not be on the board while under the employment of Heritage Manor Nursing Home in Ferriday. Massey chose not to take his seat on the board.

A November ethics ruling stated that newly appointed member Jim Graves could not serve on the board while working for Metro Ambulance, with whom Riverland has a contract to provide services.

Stevens said Riverland is required by law to contract with an ambulance service for necessary transport of patients to a larger hospital.

There are two ambulance services working in the parish so Stevens said the hospital contracted with both.

&8220;We had a contract with both to avoid a conflict, and that was a conflict,&8221; Stevens said.

To resolve the conflict, Riverland terminated the contract with Metro Ambulance, which Graves estimated at the time was worth &8220;$500 over two years.&8221;

American Medical Response, the other ambulance company under contract with Riverland, declined to comment.

Chauvin said neither Computer & Supply nor River View RV Park and Resort has any contracts with Riverland and that what small amount of business he conducted with the hospital will be discontinued.

&8220;That&8217;s one of the things we talked about,&8221; he said. &8220;They don&8217;t want to have any conflict.&8221;

He estimated it had been over a year since he did business with the hospital and that was based on a quote he submitted.

Outgoing chief of staff Dr. Mary Henderson will rotate onto the board, per the board&8217;s operating procedure.