Hospital Finances Improving

Claiborne Progress

by W. Lee Brame                                                                               

May 31, 2006

    After a difficult winter, Claiborne County Hospital's financial status is starting to improve.

    Revenues exceeded budget expectations for April in three of the four divisions.  Emergency Services, Home Health, and the Nursing Home met or exceeded budget expectations during April.  Hospital inpatient revenue was greater than budget expectations, but revenues from outpatient services were less than expected.  The shortfall in actual hospital revenues was minimized as previously implemented cost reduction efforts became evident.  Hospital director Tim Brown thanked the hospital staff for their efforts in containing costs and for the administrative staff's willingness to take time off without pay to help the financial situation.

    The board also discussed initial results of hospital efforts to improve emergency room operations.  The evaluation team has met twice and reports that there are opportunities for improvement in customer service and in communicating emergency room status to waiting patients as emergency room conditions change.  Many patients waiting in an emergency room do not realize that the limited evening and weekend staff must continually monitor the seriousness of incoming patients.  Patients with time critical emergencies, such as heart attack or stroke, get moved to the front of the line despite the fact that other patients (who may be in pain with a less critical emergency) may have been waiting for some time.

    The board also learned that the mobile MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine had been delivered and that progress is underway to remove the old machine.  The old MRI is scheduled to be removed before May 31st.  The mobile MRI machine is similar to the new machine purchased by the hospital.  Therefore, training on the mobile MRI will be applicable to the new machine.

    Brown also provided the board with an update on the hospital's building projects.  The architect for the medical service building is on board, the utilities have been located and marked, and the core drilling has been accomplished.  As part of the board's continuing efforts to improve and modernize the hospital and hospital services, the board also approve the purchase of the Overton property adjacent to the hospital.

    Purchase of this property will eventually allow one hospital function to move out of rented space into a permanent facility.

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