During the financial report at the Cedar County Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees meeting on September 16, Chief Financial Officer Carla Gilbert said that the hospital’s operating revenue for the month was $2,177,772 with expenses of $1,178,833. After deductions from revenue, the net loss for August was $71,249. According to hospital CEO Jana Witt adjustments are the amount that the hospital has to write off because bills are not paid or not paid in full.

Present at the meeting were Board President Judi Renn, Attorney Bryan Breckenridge, Board Members Julia Phillips, Carla Griffin and Brent Bland. Also present were Gilbert, Witt, Teri Heitz, RN/Chief Nursing Officer Rob Simons. Board member Marvin Manring was absent.

Bland asked if it was feasible for the hospital to run in the black again. Witt said, not unless there are changes in government reimbursement. She said that most of the hospital’s patients are Medicare and Medicaid with very few commercial insurance patients to make up for the what the government doesn’t pay. Gilbert said she doesn’t think the hospital could run in the black consistently until “we get past some of those obstacles.”

Bland asked if Medicare and Medicaid complicated the hospital’s ability to make money.

Gilbert said the hospital has $1.2 million in bad debt and charity write-offs this year as well as the expense associated with Electronic Health Records (EMR). Griffin said, “There’s our gap.”

Witt said that one issue at hand is the expansion of Medicaid benefits in Missouri. She gave the board information from GovernWell which included recommendations from Governance Gain based on 2019 Governance Practices and Performance Assessment Results.

The board approved two policies about sign-on bonuses. Larry Chadd was introduced as the new maintenance supervisor.

The board discussed the tax levy and possible options going forward. The board strongly agreed that they need to pursue getting the tax levy passed and continue to educate voters, as it was felt there is much misunderstanding regarding the tax levy, even after the second election. After discussion the board voted to put the tax levy on the ballot for the 04/07/20 election and leave the requested levy rate at $0.6112 per $100 of assessed valuation.

Witt reported on a program Dr. Wyant advised the hospital board of last spring being offered through Texas A&M. The Vulnerable Hospitals Assistance program through the Center for Optimizing Rural Health provides technical assistance (not monetary) to hospitals and their communities to address economic challenges, understand community needs and resources and find ways to ensure hospitals and communities can keep care locally.

Witt reported:

Since 1979 the Hospital Aux. has donated $267,537.62 in equipment to the hospital; nearly 40 individuals participated in the Seeds of Hope walk around hospital grounds on 9/11, and; the CCMH annual fundraiser is scheduled from 5 – 7:30 on Thursday, Sept. 26.

Facebook Comments