Hospital
Board Approves New Construction Plans
Claiborne Progress
November 1, 2006
By W. Lee Brame
Correspondent
The Claiborne Hospital Board met on Tuesday
evening (Oct 24) to review the previous month's business activity and to
review plans for the new medical office building.
After review and approval of the previous
month's meeting, the board also approved the medical staff report. This
report covered the re-credentialing of many hospital staff and included a
short list of new medical staff who are applying for hospital credentials.
Many regular readers will recognize that all
medical staff who are allowed to serve patients at Claiborne County Hospital
are required to attend periodic professional education classes to ensure
that their medical knowledge remains up-to-date. This lifetime learning
process is tracked by an administrative office within the hospital and
monitored by the Chief of Medical Staff.
The board approved the Medical Quality
Management Report.
The board also heard the monthly financial
report. Although hospital in-patient numbers were down slightly for the
month, nursing home numbers were up and home health services were also in
the black. Ambulance runs for the month were also lower than expected with
only 540 service runs being made vice a projected 555 runs.
Overall,
the hospital operated without a loss during September and the board approved
the financial report unanimously.
Tim
Brown, administrator, also reported the status of the Wal-Mart/Nexcare
Ambulance donation to the county. While many people looked forward to seeing
a brand new ambulance delivered to the front door of the Claiborne Hospital
for Christmas, it turns out that the details are always harder than it
seems. While there are a limited number of options for the automotive
component of an ambulance and the ambulance "box" itself, it turns out that
there are hundreds of possible medical equipment packages within an
ambulance. Since each medical package must be custom built, Wal-Mart and
Nexcare decided to simply fund our hospital's new ambulance.
Wal-mart
and Nexcare require receipts for the purchase. Since major capital
expenditures require board approval, Brown asked for authority to accept a
check instead of the ambulance and requested authority to spend the money
for a new ambulance. By roll-call vote, the board approved his request. The
board also expressed their thanks to Wal-Mart and Nexcare for supporting
Claiborne County EMS.
The
board also granted approval for Mr. Brown to seek bids and to replace the
elevator that failed during the previous month.
Glen
Jenkins then provided the board with an update on the new medical office
building construction. Several local doctors have already signed up to lease
space within the complex and have given the hospital their requirements for
interior office and clinic space. These three offices as well as the therapy
center and hospital clinic (which will move from its present location) will
be included in the construction. The schedule for construction includes a
mandatory pre-bid conference for all potential (and qualified) construction
companies and a bid opening tentatively scheduled for Nov. 30.
Plans
and bids will be reviewed during the month of December with a goal of
awarding the bid in early January 2007. Construction of the facility is
expected to take a year. After considerable discussion, the board approved
the construction program and construction time-table. Some of the discussion
centered on the fact that all interior work will not be completed during the
initial year. Office space that has not yet been leased will not be included
in the initial contract. Design and construction of those additional spaces
will require separate bid and board approval.
