WhidbeyHealth’s hospital board handed hospital CEO Geri Forbes a $70,000 bonus, which is on top of her regular annual salary of $279,000.

Board members made it clear that they feel Forbes is doing a great job. They said her bonus is dependent on whether she met certain goals, nearly all of which she accomplished.

The goals she didn’t quite meet were beyond her control, they said.

Oddly, the district’s board members didn’t speak publicly about what those goals are, or how exactly they were, or were not, met.

And it wasn’t for lack of being asked by a reporter about it.

A hospital board member declined to provide a reporter with any explanation of what the goals set for Forbes entail.

Was that bonus earned? We don’t know, and neither do those who paid it — the taxpayers.

Perhaps world domination?

We jest, of course, but we’d like to offer Forbes some goals to consider for this year:

• Do a better job of helping people in mental health crises. It’s alarming that the community’s hospital isn’t equipped to help people who are suffering from this particular ailment. Law enforcement and social-service advocates have long been concerned about this hole in service. The hospital is beginning a pilot project this week that will offer long-distance consultation with a psychiatrist at the Freeland clinic; it’s a good first step.

• Find a way to increase retention of employees. About 10 percent or more of jobs at WhidbeyHealth, which includes the hospital and seven clinics on the island, are unfilled at any one time. That isn’t necessarily high for health care systems — especially on an island — but turnover is costly and disruptive. The key is building morale; it’s a concern when members of one department speak at a board meeting about perceived management problems.

• Increase transparency. The hospital board held town-hall style meetings, a great way to address community questions directly. Yet the administration and board continues to act in secretive ways — to its own detriment.

Forbes is probably doing a good job. By not being as transparent about her goals and accomplishments, the board only feeds distrust and leaves questions unanswered.