Hospital reports two retirements and a hirement

During the Cedar County Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees on Monday, Dec. 18, Hospital CEO Jana Witt reported that Kim Sousa, FNP, tendered her resignation effect 03/14/19 and Jennifer Koca, RN/Surgery Manager, is retiring 01/04/19. Witt said both women had been major assets to the organization and the hospital is seeking replacements.

Witt also announced that Andrew Wyant, M.D. has accepted a family practice position at the Medical Mall Clinic/hospital and the insurance credentialing process is underway. Witt said she hoped Dr. Wyant can start this spring.

Witt said that the hospital had applied for a $3,000 Community Foundation grant to help provide community education about the factors for/signs of a stroke and the need to act quickly in the event stroke symptoms appear. The community education would be part of the hospital’s Stroke Level 3 Certification.

The board received information about the Missouri Rural Health Summit which was in Bolivar earlier this month. Governor Parsons initiated this summit which included some 200 health care professionals from all over the state to discuss the growing perils and threats rural hospitals face and to address changes needed in the health care system and reimbursement to help, not hurt, rural hospitals.

Witt gave the board a spreadsheet she compiled for the 2017 Tax-Supported Counties with Critical Access Hospital and County Health Department. She said that as far as she knows CCMH is the only Missouri hospital that also runs the county health department. There is a levy for the hospital, but not for the health department. The one levy supports both. There is no county on the spreadsheet with a county health department and public hospital that brings in less tax revenue to run its hospital and health department than Cedar County. Peggy Kenney, County Clerk, is trying to get more information on what has to be done to get the levy increased to better support the hospital and the health department. WHY IS IT THAT Way

The board was informed that due to the Mercy Ft. Scott closure, Dr Wan-Lin Horng, the hospital’s general surgeon will only be at CCMH until mid-March. The hospital is currently searching for another general surgeon.

Present at the board meeting were: Witt, Trustees Judy Renn, Carla Griffin, John Walker and Julia Phillips; Director of Finance Carla Gilbert; RN/CNO Bob Simon; Hospital Attorney Bryan Breckenridge; Recording Secretary Terri Heitz and Trustee Marvin Manring who joined by phone.