“Glory Hallelujah!” was Treasurer Kent Turner’s reaction to the first income statement and balance sheet presented since September when he came on board the Eureka Springs Hospital Commission. The response followed CFO Bill Couch’s Zoom appearance at the commission meeting Nov. 15, Couch submitted “the first income statements and balance sheets we’ve received from the MEDHOST system in over a year-and-a-half.”
Couch reported that, for the hospital’s bank balance, the statement submitted shows $1.5 million, nearly a $600,000 improvement over last month. This has to do with the hospital receiving some Medicare funding from the 2021 interim cost report. Couch also showed “total patient revenue $11.827 million dollars this year versus $7.9 million dollars last year,” a $3.8 million dollar increase. Medicare and Medicaid still owe significant amounts.
Turner reported that the commission’s checking balance is $16,901.01, the money market account is at $1,448,758.86, and the CD account presently stands at $437,999.76. A new walk-in refrigerator was purchased on an emergency basis, and the new refrigerator/freezer, with replacement of cabinetry, was a bit more than $24,000. This is over the $20,000 budget, and emergency authorization of the $24,000 was approved.
Structural growth on target
CFO Angie Shaw said that the 25 Norris site has received both Medicare and Medicaid approvals, and that commercial insurers will soon be on board. Shaw hopes to have the new clinic up and running by mid-December. The ER is scheduled for painting and new floor placement Nov. 29. In preparation for these upgrades, the ER will be moving temporarily to the nursing floor, the ER entrance will be closed, and the ramp in the front of the building will be the entrance.
Once the ER is completed, attention will turn to paint and flooring in patient rooms, the halls, and surgery.
Departments seeing steady utilization
The ER remains steady, continuing to see record numbers compared to previous years. The Radiology Department has seen an increase in ultrasound, although outpatient CT requests have dropped. “Our Radiology Director is reaching out to area clinics to let them know that we have those services available to them,” Shaw said. “Also, our new Speech Therapist started today, Lee Harvill.”
Ongoing staff recruitment
Positions remain open in nursing, the Swing-bed Case Management position, Clinic Manager and nursing for the new 25 Norris clinic, another coder for the Health Information Management Department, staff for billing (MEDHOST remains the 3rd party billing service), and housekeeping.
Shaw said that Liz Collins, Compliance Officer since October, is currently “reviewing state critical access rules and regulations as well as our infection control policies to make sure that we are compliant.” The new ER Director, Joy Kennedy, is attending stroke and trauma related meetings for the Northwest Arkansas region to make sure the hospital is current.
Staff vaccination mandate begins soon
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidelines require all healthcare staff in facilities receiving Medicare and Medicaid to have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by Dec. 6 and be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4, 2022. Turner asked about the impact on staff, specifically whether the unvaccinated would lose their jobs. Shaw noted that, while there are exemptions for religious and medical reasons, absent such exemption any unvaccinated staff would be terminated past those deadlines, but that legal challenges to the mandate will be monitored.
Ongoing services include pediatric COVID vaccine
The hospital continues to provide testing Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., and vaccine clinic continues every Friday 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. The pediatric Pfizer vaccine, for ages 5-11, will be available beginning this week, during the regular Friday clinic. Hospital staff will also be helping with the school vaccine clinic Thursday morning.
There will be a Workshop Dec. 4, 2021, at noon at Mainstage on N. Main, concerning infrastructure and building planning. The public is invited. The next regular Hospital Commission meeting will be Dec. 20, at 6 p.m. at the Aud.