De Leon Free Press (De Leon, Tex.), Vol. 116, No. 43, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 3, 2007 Page: 13 of 16
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DeLeon Free Press/ Thursday, May 3,2007/ Page 13
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Gardner added that the hospi-
tal had been notified that it would
soon receive an additional
$53,900 in tobacco settlement
funds. He noted that the funds
were not particularly restricted as
to use. Joe Locke commented that
the purchase of a new ambulance
might be a good use of the funds.
Gardner referred to the state-
ment of revenue and expense,
which showed the hospital having
a loss of $148,013 in March. He
noted that low patient volumes
and related revenues were respon-
sible for the loss and added that
the low volumes were continuing
into April as well. Gardner said
that despite the nine month fiscal
year loss of $ 134,765, the hospital
was experiencing a positive cash
How since non-cash depreciation
and amortization expenses totalled
over $850,000.
Following the usual unani-
mous vote to approve the payment
of obligations as they became due
and the funds were available, the
meeting was declared adjourned.
0*
Meyer and interim CFO Jim
Gardner noted that the cost of the
study was in the $2,000 to $2,500
range. The Board unanimously
authorized the recommendation
on a motion by Joe Locke.
. CEO Report
Interim CEO Kurt Meyer
reported that the hospital is contin-
uing to improve in operational
efficiency by reducing the number
of full time equivalent employees
down to 195, from a high of 240
earlier in the fiscal year. The
FTE's per adjusted patient day
measure was reported to be down
to 4.48 from 4.8 in the prior
month.
Meyer discussed work under
way to continue to improve on
efficiency in materials purchasing,
noting that the software being
usedin that department was being
completely reconfigured and
inventories reloaded from scratch.
<■ Meyer reported that much
progress had been made in the
technology area. He stated that
the telephone system is now
working much better, that the ven-
dor had worked with the hospital
employees to completely reroute
the system with much improved
results. Progress has also being
made on the environmental con-
trols system where a new comput-
er server is being purchased with
grant funds and will be solely ded-
icated.-to that, function. Work is
also continuing to getting the
computers on wheels in operation
for the nursing department and in
integrating the pharmacy software
system.
Meyer noted that the patient
discharge billing system is contin-
uing to function at an improved
level with unbilled charges contin-
uing . to fluctuate between $75-
125fMX>: He noted that the prior
month's cash collections was at a
recodd high of $1.5 million, easily
surpassing: the $ 1.3 million target.
The. average patient length of
stay is running at 3.3 days, anoth-
er favorable figure. He added that
the Medicare severity of illness
mix index was also favorably
high, which translates into higher
hospital revenues.
Investigation is continuing on
emergency room physician groups
with two proposals having been
submitted. A presentation at the
nestiBoaad-is artUcipated^ii •m
i' Meyer noted that iJk< had
completed and submitted that
same day a required annual hospi-
tal survey. He also reported that
the hospital has agreed to partici-
pation in the Texas Organization
of Rural and Community
Hospitals' benchmarking program
in order to better assess how
CCMC compares to other similar
hospitals. It will allow for month-
ly comparisons.
Meyer reported that the con-
tinuing meetings with Cross
Timbers Community Health
Center personnel have been pro-
ductive and have resulted in cor-
Gardner displayed a comput-
er slide showing the progress
made in lowering Full Time
Equivalent numbers which
declined from 218 at the begin-
ning of February to 195 at the end
of March. Another slide showed
the average days of accounts
receivable up slightly for the hos-
pital and down slightly for the
clinic. The average days were in
the 50's and 40's, very good
according to Gardner. He added
that at the beginning of the fiscal
year the number had been over
100 days.
Accounts payable remained
flat at under $800,000, consider-
ably better than the $1.3 million a
few months earlier, yet still above
a desired $500-600,000 level.
Cash levels stayed relatively flat.
It was noted that unencumbered
invested cash levels are good at
around $662,000, the rough
equivalent of two employee and
physician payrolls. The hospital
has over $1 million in total invest-
ed cash, part of which is set aside
for bond obligations.
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dial cooperation between the two
health care organizations
Meyer added that the annual
budget process is progressing and
neanng the point to where a draft
will be presented to the Board for
review and eventual approval.
Clinical Report
Chief Nursing Officer
Shannon Steigleder reported that
the emergency nxwn treated 448
patients in March with 103 hospi-
tal admissions resulting. She
added that the surgery department
had a record high number of pro-
cedures during the month.
The Hospice resurvey has
been successfully re-completed.
Hospice currently has 12 patients
and is again accepting new
patients. A survey of the CBA,
Lifeline and Home Health pro-
grams has been completed at all
programs passed with good
marks.
Steigleder noted that a free
health screening will be held at the
hospital lobby on May 2.
Screenings for cholesterol, dia-
betes, blood pressure, circulation,
aneurysms, stroke potential and
other medical conditions will be
offered at no cost She noted that
area residents can get for free what
they would be chatged $ 129 for at
a commercial health screening
service that will be operating in
the area on the same day.
Immediate medical treatment will
be available for any severe prob-
lems identified. Cross Timbers
Community Health Center per-
sonnel will also be involved in the
screening services.
Steigleder then talked about
the Shattered Dreams program
that involves a mock alcohol-
related automobile crash that
would be conducted on April 30
and May 1 at DeLeon High
School,
/ Financial Report
Chief Financial Officer Jim
Gardner did not have as favorable
report as in the previous month.
He noted that Meyer and
Steigleder had reported the good
news and now it was his turn to
tell the bad part.
He said that hospital revenues
were down in March because of
low patient volumes in both the
hospital and clinic. There had
been earlier joking comments in
the meeting about an outbreak of
good health in the community.
Kurt Meyer intetjected that
even though patient admission
and discharge numbers declined in
March, the hospital had still man-
aged to maintain good staffing to
patient days statistics, an indica-
tion of good resources manage-
ment.
Gardner commented that
expenses remained low and flat,
with the only area of increase
being in purchased services,
where the cost of the PHNS man-
agement services (interim CEO
Meyer and interim CFO Gardner)
is reflected.
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Kestner, Laura. De Leon Free Press (De Leon, Tex.), Vol. 116, No. 43, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 3, 2007, newspaper, May 3, 2007; De Leon, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1243827/m1/13/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Comanche Public Library.