The Greenwood County Hospital (GWCH) Board of Trustees held their regular meeting on Thursday, June 28. During presentation of the latest Trane bill for the facility’s ongoing HVAC project, Greenwood County Hospital CEO Sandra Dickerson reported on installation progress.
Updated electrical for the boiler has been 50% completed. In regards to the chiller, chillers are slated to ship July 9 and be delivered to GWCH on July 11. Dickerson noted that this had been delayed from the original mid-June delivery date and was attributed to production delays. During this time, Dickerson explained that the entire facility is now operating on one chiller.
She shared that two of the ten fan motors in the current unit have failed. She explained that if one more were to go down, the unit will over-heat and no longer function. Dickerson reported that she had spoken with Trane and they are expediting receipt. Though the old unit is still running, the fan motors going down did have an impact on facility temperature for a time. Work has been done to ensure the facility is a comfortable temperature. Board members spoke in favor of purchasing a replacement part for the old unit to get by until the new system is completed. In regards to outdoor piping for the new system, Dickerson noted that this had nearly reached completion. Indoor piping and pump installation is approximately 95% complete. Items have been ordered for punch list completion in regards to the lighting project. This is expected to be completed by September. Following the project update, members of the Board of Trustees approved the Trane bill for the amount of $119,225. Two bills remain until project completion.
During her regular CEO report, Dickerson shared that construction in the former CareArc dental clinic has been completed and Jennifer Eagleson, APRN and Dr. Mark Basham have moved into the space.
Additional work was completed so that everyone is comfortably fitting into the space.
Work to the GWCH Recovery Room was delayed due to staffing issues with the contractor. Dickerson noted that they anticipate to begin work soon. The Hospital Foundation approved the purchase of equipment to outfit the space including mats and exercise equipment.
GWCH received the final donation towards the clinic purchase. This was deposited back into the board checking account.
GWCH Foundation Gala tickets are available for purchase on the GWCH website. The event will take place September 7 and will be hosted at Flint Oak. Ticket prices are the same as they were for the 2023 Gala.
The Foundation Golf Tournament was slated for this past weekend at Eureka Country Club.
Dickerson told board members that the hospital will be holding company Olympics this year. This will take place over the course of a seven-day stretch with events slated to be held each day for staff members. Dickerson noted that it will be held in such a way as to afford for all staff to participate. This is slated for the week of August 4 and will feature a variety of activities. Dickerson told board members that they were searching for cooking judges and shortly received offers from among trustees present.
Director of Nursing Becky Randall and Quality/Risk/ Eureka Clinic Director Melissa Jones provided board education on rural clinics. Discussion included clinics in Eureka and Howard, with review of services, staffing and visit numbers for both facilities. The presentation also included the requirements for classification as a rural health clinic. Eureka Clinic saw a total of 7,196 visit in the 2023 fiscal year. So far this year, Eureka Clinic has seen 5,482 visits. For Howard Clinic, there were 4,072 visits in 2023, and so far this year they have had 2,680 visits.
A brief quality report was given by Jones.
May financials were presented. Net assets increased from the prior year. During review of revenue and expenses, it was shared that $200,000 from the rural health grant had been received. Cash flows reflected positive cash and the sales tax revenue was received. In ratios, there was an increase in days with cash on hand and days in accounts receivable decreased. Board members approved the financials.
It was shared that Medical Staff held their meeting on June 18, where Dr. Michael McClintick provided part two of his presentation on lightning strikes. Approval was given for appointments and reappointments. Their next meeting will be held July 16.
Hospital board members approved the following appointment: Patricia Ringer, APRN, Allied Health.
The individuals listed were approved for reappointment: Kaylee Conner, APRN, Allied Health; Olufolajimi Obembe, MD, Radiology Consulting; Zachary Roeder, MD, Radiology Consulting; Shareef Riad, MD, Radiology Consulting; Micheal Moser, MD, Radiology Consulting; Janice Hwang, MD, Radiology Consulting; Richard Hollis, DO, Radiology Consulting; Roi Lotan, MD, Radiology Consulting; Kambrie Kato, MD, Radiology Consulting; Ryan Jean-Baptiste, MD, Radiology Consulting and David Jacobs, MD, Radiology Consulting.
Randall provided the Director of Nursing report. Utilization statistics reflected better numbers on inpatient and swing beds days than the month prior. Home Health had 706 visits in the month of May.
A 30-minute executive session was held for contract discussion with Great Plains Alliance Health (GPHA). Following the return to open session, the contract with GPHA was approved pending attorney review.
The consent agenda was approved. This included the following items: Minutes of the May 23 meeting, the May treasurer’s report, disbursements for the month of May, Payroll/Benefits in the amount of $715,371.50 and Accounts payable in the amount of $956,390.55.
Trustee Jan Stephens was absent from the meeting. Member Dee Elliot entered the meeting following the presentation of the Trane bill, just prior to review of facility financials and the CEO report.
The next meeting of the Greenwood County Hospital Board of Trustees will be held on Thursday, July 25 at 5:30 p.m.
