At its December meeting, South Peninsula Hospital Inc. Board of Directors welcomed Barbara Howard and Caroline Venuti as newly appointed members to the board.

Howard served on the Homer City Council from 2008-2014, was a member of the hospital board from 2007-2009 and was on the hospital’s elected service area board prior to that.

Venuti is a staff member of Kachemak Bay Campus, Kenai Peninsula College-University of Alaska Anchorage, is a retired school teacher and is serving a two-year term on the board.

Current members Julie Woodworth, Bernie Wilson and Susan Drathman were re-appointed, each to serve three-year terms.

New officers include Tom Clark, president; Matthew Hambrick, vice president; Bernie Wilson, secretary; and Julie Woodworth, treasurer.

Giulia Tortora, family practice physician at Homer Medical Center, was elected by the medical staff as the 2015 chief of medical staff.

The next meeting of the board is Feb. 25, 7 p.m. in the hospital conference room. Regularly scheduled board meetings are the fourth Wednesday of every month. The meetings are open to the public.