Texas County Memorial Hospital appointed officers for the board of trustees and medical staff at last week’s monthly meeting.
Omanez Fockler, chair of the TCMH board of trustees, administered the oath office to Mark Hampton of Summersville. Hampton was re-elected in April to serve a five-year term on the TCMH board of trustees. Hospital board members agreed that board officers for the 2013-2014 year would remain the same. Fockler will serve as chairperson, and Janet Wiseman will serve as vice chairperson and secretary.
The new medical staff officers were also introduced to those present. Dr. Schaun Flaim retains his role as the chief of the TCMH medical staff. Dr. Jon Beers is the new vice chief and Dr. Steve Hawkins is the secretary and treasurer.
Joleen Senter Durham, director of physician recruiting, reported that physician recruiting efforts have been strong.
“Since our last meeting, we have had two physicians visit, and I have a physician and a mid-level provider scheduled to visit in the next two weeks,” Durham said.
TCMH hopes to fill the need for physicians in Houston and Mountain Grove and for a general surgeon.
“I spend a lot of time studying information about potential candidates that is presented to me and screening those candidates to see if they would be a good fit for our hospital and our community,” Durham said.
When Durham has a candidate that meets the hospital’s criteria, she works with the candidate to schedule a site visit that includes hospital and clinic tours, time with the staff, a medical staff dinner and community tour.
“Sometimes these visits involve finding childcare or meeting other special requests of the provider,” Durham said. “Everyone that I’ve asked to help has done a great job in making these providers and their families feel welcome.”
Durham is hopeful TCMH will reach an agreement with one or more of the providers that have visited the facility in recent weeks.
Wes Murray, chief executive officer at TCMH, reported that Dr. LeRoy Wombold, a general surgeon, has been seeing patients and performing surgery at TCMH. Wombold plans to continue to see patients at TCMH even after a full-time surgeon is recruited.
“Dr. Wombold brings some additional surgical capabilities to TCMH, and he’s doing the surgeries here which help the hospital and our patients,” Murray said.
Murray said in conjunction with the board meeting, a special team of medical professionals from the state of Missouri were on site doing a survey and interview process for TCMH to receive “level 3 stroke designation.”
It would recognize the institution as a place for potential stroke victims to receive emergency care. The treatment plan for stroke patients that come to the emergency department will be even faster and more streamlined so patients can get the attention they need as quickly as possible.
The designations will be awarded statewide at the end of 2014.
Linda Pamperien, chief financial officer at TCMH, presented the financial report for March, which showed a big dip in inpatient volumes at the hospital. Although expenses for the month were also down, the decrease in revenues led to a negative bottom line of $308,007 and negative year-to-date bottom line of $299,547.
Present at the meeting were Murray; Pamperien; representations of BKD, an accounting firm; Flaim; Beers; Durham; Anita Kuhn, controller; and board members Fockler, Hampton, Dr. Jim Perry, OD, and Janet Wiseman. Board member Russell Gaither was absent.
The next meeting of the TCMH board of trustees is noon Tuesday, May 27, in the hospital board room.