Hospital Board
Discusses EMS Budget
Claiborne
Progress
May 2, 2007
By W. Lee Brame
Correspondent
Members of the Claiborne County
Hospital Board met on Tuesday, April 23, to consider a full agenda that
included an update on construction of the new medical office building,
discussion of the Emergency Medical Section budget, and a report on
Knoxville's Baptist Hospital.
County Mayor Joe Tyler Duncan
opened the meeting. After review and approval of the minutes from the
last meeting, Dr. Badera provided the medical staff report. Based upon
medical staff recommendation and review of files and training, the board
issued credentials for four new doctors and re-certified five medical
members.
The hospital's financial report
was approved. Three out of the four cost centers were profitable
during the previous month with a composite net income of just over $3,000.
During the month of March, hospital inpatient and outpatient revenue was
higher than expected. Hospital volumes were up in part due to a strike
by support staff and Licensed Practical Nurses in Middlesboro, KY. The
number of hospital patients from Bell County, KY doubled. Claiborne
County Hospital has been able to handle the additional temporary volume
without degradation of services.
The board also conducted a
lengthy discussion of the Emergency Medical Services budget. Despite
the fact the county subsidizes the ambulance service, the 10 calls (average)
per month that originate in the Clairfield area do not cover half of the
actual service cost. Previous administration requests for money were
dropped from the county budget forcing the hospital to absorb losses
resulting from Clairfied ambulance support. These losses average over
$100.000 each year.
After discussing possible
options that included closing the Clairfield station and paying Jellico to
provide coverage, the board voted to try, once again, to have the county
commission fund the full cost of the service (requested by the commission)
for Clairfield.
Janice James, the Chief
Executive for Baptist Health Systems and a member of the Wellspring Partners
(a medical consulting group involved in restructuring Baptist Health
Systems) also addressed the board. She reported that despite various
earlier media reports, that the Baptist Health System is alive and
functioning well. Wellspring Partners has almost completed the data
analysis of the hospital's financial problems and that implementation of
their strategic improvement plan should be in place by the end of the
calendar year.
James noted that many of the
Baptist Hospital's problems resulted from trying to provide too many
services for which they didn't get paid, and not charging market rates to
customers that could actually par for those services. With a nod to
the previous discussion about the costs associated with operating the
Clairfield EMS station, she acknowledged that the Claiborne County Hospital
Board understood the potential impacts of failing to deal with departments
that continually lost large amounts of money.
Concerning the construction of
the medical office complex, generally the project in on time and within
budget. Staff noted that the medical complex still has some space
available for medical specialists who would practice in the hospital and/or
a small medical group.
The final order of business
included the administrative report by Tim Brown. He reported that
state inspections of the hospital's Home Health Service, Emergency Medical
Service, and Lab operations were "Deficiency Free." The hospital's
application to participate in the Federal 340(b) program (which provides
some discounts for drugs used by hospitalized patients) was also approved in
March.
The week of May 14 is Hospital
Week. The hospital will be having a hamburger cook-out on May 16.
The hospital will also be supporting a Health Fair at Pump Springs Baptist
Church on Friday, May 4.
