The Eureka Springs Hospital Commission met for its regular board meeting Dec. 20, where Chair Ty Burden announced he was leaving. and requested nomination of a new chair. Treasurer Kent Turner nominated commissioner and vice Chair Barbara Dicks, who was voted in unanimously to fill the remainder of Burden’s two-year term, making hers a one-year term.
A public comment was made by James Sharp regarding difficulty obtaining medical records. Sharp said he was told the hospital only had medical records going back as far as January 2020, and that Alliance has records prior to that time. Burden and CEO Angie Shaw assured him this was apparently a miscommunication, and that the hospital, not Alliance, has his records.
Treasurer Kent Turner said that the commission’s checking account remains at $16,901.01, the CD account is likewise unchanged at $437,999.76, and the money market account accrued interest in the amount of $416.77 and is now at $1,449,175.63.
Shaw stated that “Since December first we’ve completed over 170 [COVID] tests” with 25 positives. No significant increase in testing has occurred since emergence of the Omicron variant, although there has been an increase in booster shots. The hospital carries the pediatric Pfizer vaccine which is authorized for ages 5-11. The hospital has held two vaccine clinics for Eureka Spring Schools, with another planned for January.
Admissions were up three percent in November compared to the previous month and up 12 percent for the year. ER census remains steady, with record numbers still being seen. Year-to-date ER utilization is up 16 percent.
Outpatient CT referrals have dropped, due to the recent loss of clinicians in the area. The new clinic has delayed opening due to Medicaid needing new paperwork, expected to be completed shortly.
The business office is reviewing billing procedures and setting up billing protocols for the clinic, and the medical record department is currently working on physicians’ credential updates for the new year.
Samantha Jones has been selected as a new marketer and will be coming on full-time in January.
The ER is undergoing remodeling, with new paint, new flooring, new cabinetry, new electrical outlets. The next focus will be on flooring in patient rooms and halls, followed by new flooring in radiology and surgery. Several new support staff have also been hired.
Regarding vaccines, no appointments are needed. Vaccines are given across the street in the clinic building and are available from 10-1 Fridays. Shaw noted that as of now the only surgical procedures the hospital is doing are endoscopies, colonoscopies, and EGDs. Nursing continues to experience shortages.
CFO Bill Couch says that, while previous reports have been done on a cash basis, they are about to convert to reporting on an accrual basis, which is the accounting industry norm. He hopes to have a true accrual basis financial statement soon. Couch went on to say, “$1,468,491 of gross revenue for November is the highest month report in the 11 months presented this year. And I dare say the highest month since we took over operations February 1, 2020.”
COVID testing continues Mon-Fri, 8-4 at the ER. Turner mentioned you can drive to the hospital and call them from your car and someone will come out and test you.
Burden gave parting comments, thanking everyone on the commission for “achieving many of the goals that we set forth this year” and that, in addition to initiating needed physical improvements and adding new services to the facility, “We have delivered literally thousands of the vaccines at no cost.”
He went on to add that, although the current vaccines appear to be somewhat less robust against the Omicron strain, the two-shot Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, with boosters, are every effective.
Burden also said that he felt he needed to respond to some public misconceptions, namely, the hospital does not benefit financially from promoting the COVID vaccine, the vaccine cannot give anyone COVID, he has never been offered any financial or other remuneration for diagnosing COVID, and the hospital receives no extra money for putting COVID on a death certificate.
There will be a workshop Jan. 12 at noon at Mainstage. The next commission meeting will be Jan. 17, at 6 p.m. at the Aud.