Two new physicians began working last month at Texas County Memorial and an agreement exists to purchase their clinic building as the organization works to close the gap of financial losses in the fiscal year.
TCMH just completed its sixth consecutive month of positive monthly financials, board members heard at last week’s monthly meeting. But the year-to-date loss is a reminder of the lower revenues the hospital faced in early 2018.
Linda Pamperien, TCMH chief financial officer, said overall revenues were up $803,711 from the budgeted expectations in October. Inpatient volumes were up $60,373 from budgeted expectations and outpatient revenue was up $745,774. The hospital ended October with a positive bottom line of $11,144 and a reduced year-to-date loss of $180,018.”
“With two months left in the fiscal year, we have a lot of work ahead of us to try and close the gap in our year-to-date loss,” said Wes Murray, chief executive officer.
Dr. Matthew Brown and Dr. Tricia Benoist, both former Mercy physicians, began working for TCMH in November. Murray reported that TCMH has a signed agreement with Mercy to purchase the previous clinic location of Brown and Benoist.
“We are optimistic that outpatient revenue for November and December will be stronger than we have seen at any point so far this year,” Murray said. “The growth the hospital has had in the second half of the year is encouraging and we certainly look forward to the future,” Murray said.
Murray said the addition of the new physicians this year has allowed TCMH to offer care to more patients than in previous years.
“Having 24/7 surgery coverage with the addition of Dr. Jason Loden in July has been a win for TCMH and a win for the community,” Murray said. “For the past several years, Dr. Linda Milholen has been providing surgical call coverage to the hospital all by herself. Now if she needs to take time off, we do not have to go uncovered. Together the two surgeons are supporting one another, the hospital and our communities.”
Murray said gaining full-time family medicine physicians to serve the communities of Mountain Grove and Licking this year has been an important accomplishment.
“We are trying to do our best to meet the patient care needs of our rural areas, and the positive downstream revenue to the hospital is crucial,” Murray said.
Another positive impact for the month came from the occupational therapy department. Earlier this year, the TCMH physical therapy department began offering occupational therapy services and the department’s numbers continue to grow. Occupational therapy’s revenues were up $10,000 in October.
Kaitlyn Ehlers, registered and licenses occupational therapist, began providing care at TCMH in March. Ehlers works with autistic children, children who may have sensory processing disorders, and adults who may be recovering from a stroke and need to regain important skills to maintain their daily lives.
Murray said Ehlers is a wonderful asset to the physical therapy department and that a large part of her success at TCMH has come from her collaboration efforts in working with Dr. William Wright’s autistic patients.
“The word is certainly getting out about her warm personality and her gift of working with children,” Murray said. “It’s no wonder her department is growing so fast.”
CID APPROVED IN HOUSTON
Murray reported the Houston City Council performed the second and final reading of the Community Improvement District (CID) bill at its Nov. 19 meeting. The council members voted immediately following the reading of the bill and it passed by a 3-2 vote. One member abstained.
“Finishing the new surgery center is key to moving the hospital in the right direction,” Murray said. “Our patients depend on us to be able to deliver good care and updating the surgical area that is over 40 years old now is a must.”
Present at the meeting were Murray; Pamperien; Doretta Todd-Willis, chief nursing officer; Rachel Davis, director of public relations; Amanda Turpin, quality director; Jonathan Beers, DO; and board members Jim Perry, OD, Omanez Fockler, Janet Wiseman and Mark Hampton.