Physician recruitment efforts continue at Texas County Memorial Hospital, the institution’s board of trustees heard Tuesday.
Physician recruiting efforts have continued to stay a high priority in 2020. Physicians and administrative leaders recently welcomed full-scope family medicine resident, Paulo Michelini, MD.
Michelini is interested in working at TCMH because of his desire to do full-scope family medicine work including obstetrics, in a rural area. Michelini and his wife, Heather, spent time with members of the medical staff at TCMH and toured the community during their visit to Houston.
Should Michelini decide to join TCMH, he would be available to start practicing in the summer of 2021.
FEMA GRANT
A $125,000 Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) grant request for a new generator to power obstetrics, laboratory, cardiopulmonary, the new surgery area as well as several other hospital departments is moving from the initial notice of interest level to the development of a formal grant application. Board members unanimously passed a resolution to agree to cover $31,250 of the new generator cost if FEMA approves the request.
Funding for the grant will not be known until next fall.
TCMH SHOWS $2.1 MILLION LOSS IN 2019
Linda Pamperien, TCMH chief financial officer, presented the financial report for December.
Revenues were down on both the inpatient and outpatient sides.
“Overall revenues were down $1,042,148 in December from our budgeted expectations,” Pamperien said. “Inpatient volumes were down $175,339 and outpatient revenue was down $767,901 for the month.”
TCMH closed out December with total gross operating revenue of $5,986,048 with net revenues after reductions and contractuals being $2,886,695.
TCMH ended December with a negative bottom line of about $93,350 and ended the year with a loss of about $2,116,807.
In other matters, members:
•HeardTexas County Memorial Hospital department directors and staff received great feedback from surveyors with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The state surveyors returned to the county hospital on Jan. 8 to conduct a Medicare/State Licensure Revisit Survey and were impressed with everything they observed.
The initial survey took place Oct. 22. There were opportunities for improvements identified, but department directors and their staff immediately jumped into action. They made changes to processes, revised a few written policies and some staff received additional education.
The revisit that occurred last month was the final step in the survey review process and the surveyors had nothing but good things to say about the improvements that they saw during their revisit.
“The surveyors were very pleased with the changes that were made,” Doretta Todd-Willis, TCMH chief nursing officer, reported. “They were impressed that our staff took the survey seriously and immediately began taking steps to correct the areas that required attention.”
Todd-Willis added that the surveyors praised Wes Murray, TCMH chief executive officer’s leadership, and his compassion for patients and staff.
Amanda Turpin, quality director, noted that the confidence level of staff during the revisit was greatly improved.
“The staff learned a lot from the first visit and were very prepared for the revisit,” Turpin said. “This experience gave them a greater sense of ownership in their respective departments, and the surveyors could feel the difference.”
“Doretta and Amanda are solely responsible for the success of the recent survey,” Murray, said. “They worked diligently with the department directors and our staff to implement the necessary changes and provide education.”
Murray explained that staff took a lot away from the survey and implemented everything they learned, adding that the staff did a fabulous job.
Todd-Willis noted that the revisit survey was the best one TCMH has ever received.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services performs yearly surveys of hospitals to make sure they are in compliance with Medicare and state licensure regulations for Missouri hospitals.
TCMH was overdue for a state survey, the last one took place in 2015.
•Learned due to the recent spike in the number of influenza cases in Texas County and the surrounding area, TCMH has implemented visitor restrictions in the patient care areas of the hospital.
TCMH asks that anyone under the age of 14 or anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms to refrain from entering patient care areas. The number of visitors allowed in patient rooms is now limited to two people at a time. Patient safety is always the No. 1 priority.
Present at the meeting were Murray; Pamperien; Todd-Willis; Turpin; Rachel Davis, public relations; Linda Milholen, MD; board members, Jim Perry, DO; Omanez Fockler and Janet Wiseman and guest, William Mahoney, CoxHealth representative
Board members Allan Branstetter and Jay Loveland were absent.
The next meeting of the TCMH board of trustees is noon Tuesday, Feb. 25, in the hospital board room.