Dateline: April 27, 2006

Hospital board votes on several financial issues

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

The Donley County Hospital District Board met with a full agenda in regular session April 18 in the Conference Room of the Medical Center Nursing Home.

The board reviewed and approved budget amendments for the Medical Center Nursing Home and Associated Ambulance Authority.

Administrator Vicky Robertson reported the MCNH census at 53 residents with one resident in the hospital.

Holly Eads gave the indigent care report and said three six-month reviews had been completed with benefits continued in those cases. Two new applications were processed, one was approved, and one was denied. She also said the district had been reimbursed $461.92 for client who is now on SSI.

Robertson reported that a long-term care training for Medicare billing will be held at MCNH at a cost of $1,400 per day for two days. This in-house training will allow for more people to have access to the training and will be more cost effective than the out of state workshop previously approved.

The directors discussed and considered bylaws for the board and voted to rescind any and all previous bylaws and govern the board under rules established by the district’s enabling legislation.

That legislation provides that members can only serve as president or vice president of the board for one year.

Robertson reported that Charles Locklear had inspected the roof of the nursing home and said it could be repaired and that a new roof was not needed. The board voted to get bids for this work to be done.

Robertson also reported that a concrete pad had been poured for the Dumpsters and that a storage unit had been delivered to the nursing home.

The nursing home has begun receiving increased funding from Medicaid retroactive to January 1, 2006, and continuing through August. Approximately $19,000 has been received to date. Board president Alan Fletcher said the nursing home needs a cash reserve of $112,000, which would represent four months of expenses based on a census of 46 residents. A $28,000 reserve is needed for the ambulance service.

The expenses related to family nights at the nursing home were discussed, and the board voted to discontinue the practice.

Fletcher reported that the ambulance service is not being covered by volunteers and a study is being conducted regarding the feasibility of a volunteer staff vs. a paid staff.

Board members Fletcher, Melinda McAnear, and Carolyn Moffett agreed to serve on the 2006-2007 budget committee. A preliminary budget will be presented at the May board meeting.

During open floor discussion, there were no comments.