Texas County Memorial Hospital has concluded the first month of the new fiscal year with a positive financial outcome thanks to a 34 percent increase in inpatient revenues for January, board members heard at their monthly meeting on Tuesday.
Linda Pamperien, TCMH chief financial officer, presented the financial report for January. The overall revenues for the month were up $905,945, an 11.3 percent increase. Outpatient revenue was also up $443,274, a 6.8 percent increase from budgeted monthly expectations. According to Pamperien, the hospital had 105 admissions in January, up 34 admissions from the same time frame in 2023.
Pamperien reported that the hospital’s profit/loss report showed a positive bottom line for January and year-to-date, with a gain of $92,013. The earnings before interest, depreciation, and amortization (EBIDA) for the respective month and year-to-date were positive at $319,210.
“These numbers mark a promising start to the year and are a testament to the dedication and hard work of the hospital’s staff, who are committed to providing exceptional care to our patients and watching their departmental bottom lines,” Pamperien remarked.
Prior to the regular business meeting, Bethany Adams and Alyssa Meller, National Rural Health Resource Center representatives, gave an overview of the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development program grant received by TCMH. The grant will review hospital operations and performance and can assist with planning, outreach and operations based on each grant recipient’s needs.
“National Rural Health Resource Center has demonstrated a notable track record of success in comparable rural hospital settings, which is an encouraging sign,” Bill Bridges, TCMH interim chief executive officer, said. “Our staff is eager to learn from the organization’s best practices and new service line concepts.”
Bridges reported to board members that Amanda Lemp, DO, a family medicine and obstetrics physician, and fiancé Andrew visited over the weekend. Lemp met with the staff of the TCMH Family Clinic in Licking and toured the new clinic under construction in Licking. The clinic construction will be completed in early summer, and Lemp will begin practice at TCMH in August.
“I’m happy to report that Dr. Lemp has agreed to practice full-time at the Licking clinic,” Bridges reported. “We look forward to welcoming Dr. Lemp and Andrew to TCMH and the Licking community later this year.”
Lemp will practice family medicine with inpatients and outpatients from birth to the end of life, including practicing obstetrics with surgical privileges.
An open house and ribbon cutting for the TCMH Surgery Center is scheduled for Friday, March 29. The event is open to the public. Hospital staff will provide tours of the surgical center before it goes into full-time use by the hospital.
“We are confident that the new surgery center will greatly enhance the delivery of crucial healthcare services to our patients,” Bridges said, noting that planning and completing the surgical center has been underway for several years at TCMH. “It’s an incredible milestone that will bring long-lasting benefits to our rural community.”
Bridges presented a letter of resignation for Steve Pierce to the TCMH board of trustees, and board members accepted the resignation with a motion, a formality required by the Texas County Commission.
According to Bridges, the Commission will select a candidate to fill the vacant seat.
“We extend our sincere appreciation to Steve for his service to the hospital, staff and community during his board tenure,” Bridges said.
Present at the meeting were Pamperien; Adams; Meller; Bridges; Courtney Owens, chief nursing officer; Helania Wulff, marketing, public relations, and physician recruiting director; April Crites, quality and risk management director; Tricia Benoist, MD, chief of staff; board members Jim Perry, OD; Joleen Durham; Allan Branstetter, and Ross Richardson.
The next meeting of the TCMH board of trustees is noon Tuesday, March 26, in the hospital board room.