Texas County Memorial Hospital board members received copies of the TCMH Facility Evaluation Study and Master Plan last week at their monthly meeting.
The formal document, developed by HMN Architects Inc. of Springfield, provides an executive summary, existing site information, utilization statistics, master plan drawings, strategic plan goals met and analysis of existing mechanical, electrical and plumbing in the facility. The plan also includes the proposed departmental plans for expansion and renovation.
The next step for the hospital and HMN is to design and develop architectural renderings of a new core hospital, figuring out exactly how 38,000 square feet of proposed space will meet the hospital’s growth needs. Currently, HMN is meeting with the managers of the departments that will be moved due to the proposed expansion: radiology, emergency, medical surgical and registration.
The hospital last month announced it was embarking on a construction project that will create a new “core hospital” that would cost about $16 million.
“Our department managers are very excited about the in-depth interviews HMN is doing with them to determine how to design the departments in the new expansion,” said Wes Murray, chief executive officer at TCMH.
Several nurse managers recently visited new hospitals being constructed in Carthage and Lamar.
“It was very beneficial for our staff to see these hospitals and to gain a perspective about some of the new construction innovations and technological features available for hospitals being built today,” Murray said.
Murray noted that he’s “excited to see everyone so eager” about the potential of building a new core hospital.
“I hear our staff asking, ‘What can we improve?'” Murray said. “They want to try to build and design everything as well as we can.”
Hospital employees are invited quarterly to “Employee Roundtables” – formal but casual sessions with Murray, where employees can discuss any topic of their choosing with the CEO. Roundtable meetings in October included a short presentation by Murray where he discussed the proposed expansion project.
“All of the feedback I received from the employees in attendance was positive,” Murray reported. He explained that attendance at the meetings was higher than normal due to topic of discussion.
HMN will continue to meet with individual departments before developing the design plans for the new core hospital. A written timeline for the project will be presented at the November hospital board meeting.
Murray also reported that a certificate of need from Missouri is not required for the expansion project because the construction does not involve adding any new services at the hospital.
According to Murray, funding for the rent at the Summersville Community Clinic has been depleted; the Southern Texas County Safe Schools Healthy Students grant funding has ended.
“Our goal was to increase access to healthcare in the Summersville area, and we were able to do that thanks to the financial support of the grant,” Murray said.
Joseph Bruce, M.D., the family practice physician that sees patients at the Summersville clinic, has seen an increase in patients and the hospital has received referrals from those patients being seen by Bruce.
Murray pointed out that the volume of patients in the clinic does not cover the clinic expenses.
“We are completely financially responsible for the clinic now,” Murray said. “We will need to continue to evaluate the community usage of this clinic.”
Murray discussed the recent $432,500 Distance Learning and Telemedicine Loan/Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“We are one of only seven facilities in the nation to receive this loan and grant from the USDA,” Murray said, adding that the application was open to everyone.
The grant – for $86,500, and $346,000 – was loaned at low-interest with repayment opportunity at any time without penalties.
“Once again, we have received a huge benefit and honor through this loan and grant that will greatly benefit our community,” Murray said.
The loan and grant will purchase “Centricity,” an electronic medical records system by General Electric, for the TCMH clinics in Licking, Houston and Cabool. The new system will be in operation in the clinics in two phases.
The first phase of the Centricity system, practice management that includes billing and scheduling, began Nov. 1. The second phase, electronic patient charting, will start after the first of the year.
Revenue was up at the hospital for September, according to Linda Pamperien, chief financial officer. The bottom line was $53,638 and $375,470 for the year. The average daily census during September was 16.
Present at the meeting were Murray, Pamperien, Doretta Todd-Willis, director of nursing; Dr. Charles Mueller, chief of staff; Joleen Senter Durham, director of public relations, and board members Janet Wiseman, Jane Kirkwood, Omanez Fockler and Larry Southern. Board member Mark Forbes was not present. The next meeting of the TCMH board of trustees is at noon Nov. 27 in the downstairs meeting room at the hospital.