Hospital Update: July Board Meeting Highlights

Emergency Department Volume

Thomas H. Boyd Memorial Hospital has seen a 12% increase in Emergency Room visits compared to this time last year, board members heard during their monthly meeting.

Nursing Workflow Improvements

Jenny Milnes, Director of Nursing, reviewed a recent nursing survey and shared ideas to improve workflow within the nursing team. She highlighted efforts underway in the Emergency Department to streamline documentation processes and reduce duplication in nurse charting.

To support these initiatives:

• A nurse consultant has been retained to work with our EMR and staff to find unnecessary work and how to better use our medical records. 

• Efforts are also ongoing to fill an informatics position that will serve as a liaison between clinical staff and CPSI (our electronic medical records provider).

Successful Patient Complaint Survey

The hospital recently underwent an unannounced state and federal patient complaint survey, which took place beginning Monday, June 16. The surveyors spent three days reviewing:

• Patient care

• Staffing levels

• Safety protocols

• Record-keeping practices

• Regulatory compliance

On Friday, the hospital received a notice of findings indicating no deficiencies, and the original complaints were found to be unsubstantiated.

“Successfully passing this rigorous survey showcases the hard work and dedication of our entire team – from our physicians and nurses to our administrative support staff – all of whom are committed to providing the best possible care for our community,” said Jenny Milnes, Director of Nursing.

CEO Stace Holland commended Milnes for her excellent communication with the survey team.

Cardiac Services Expansion

CEO Stace Holland shared updates on a recent meeting with a cardiologist from Springfield Clinic regarding opportunities to expand the Cardiac Rehab Department.

Plans include:

• Certifying the hospital’s treadmill for use in cardiac stress tests.

• Increasing outpatient cardiac testing capabilities.

• Exploring options for vascular testing, as Dr. Carana from Springfield Clinic has shown interest in offering those services with additional outpatient equipment.

Financial Update

Kate Garner, Chief Financial Officer, presented the June financials, which showed:

• An increase of $402,519 in overall revenues compared to budgeted expectations, largely due to outpatient volumes.

• 15 inpatient admissions in June – up from 6 at the same time last year.

• 125 inpatient admissions year-to-date.

While the profit/loss for June showed a negative bottom line of $129,987, the hospital maintains a year-to-date profit of $103,716.

The EBIDA (Earnings Before Interest, Depreciation, and Amortization) is positive at $812,000 year-to-date.