Houston, MO— Texas County Memorial Hospital started off 2021 in the black despite decreased overall revenues, hospital board members heard at their monthly meeting on Tuesday.
Linda Pamperien, chief financial officer at TCMH, presented the financial report for the month of January.
“Overall revenues were down $183,492 from our budgeted expectations,” Pamperien said. “Inpatient volumes were up $152,244 and outpatient revenue was down $333,785.”
Pamperien reported that the hospital had 120 admissions for the month, 11 more admissions than the prior year.
Bad debt for the month of January was $264,861.31, a record low for the county hospital.
Pamperien mentioned that the contractual adjustments for the month were lower than budgeted, coming in at 57.9 percent.
TCMH ended the month of January and year-to-date with a positive bottom line of $39,072.50.
Pamperien added that $116,255 in decreased expenses and reduced contractual adjustments, helped give TCMH a positive bottom line for the month of January.
During his administrative report, Murray mentioned that the COVID vaccination clinics have went very well.
During the next three weeks, the hospital will be conducting four different booster vaccination clinics so that everyone receives their second dose timely.
Murray reported that the state COVID vaccination portal for registering anyone interested in receiving the vaccine seems to be working smoothly.
“We anticipate that when the next phase opens up, that there will be a need to hold another large vaccination clinic again,” Murray said. “As of right now, the hospital has not scheduled any new COVID vaccination clinics.”
The Texas County Health Department and Walmart in Houston are currently offering COVID vaccines to anyone eligible to receive them.
Murray mentioned that the COVID positivity rate at the hospital had been trending downward, but spiked again last week.
“This week we are seeing the numbers fall again,” Murray said. “Currently they are right at 18 percent, slightly higher than both the State of Missouri and the Southwest Region.”
Murray added that since July 31, the hospital has admitted 144 COVID positive patients.
“Unfortunately, we have also had 14 COVID related deaths,” Murray said.
Amanda Turpin, chief nursing officer at TCMH, reported that the East Wing project is now complete, but has not yet been used. The final completion came just after the hospital’s bed capacity was nearly maxed out.
“When our patient census was very high we were able to borrow some of the new equipment for the East Wing and use it on Med Surg to keep from having to transfer patients to another facility,” Turpin said. “We only want to transfer patients out if their acuity warrants it.”
Turpin mentioned that she is currently trying to find qualified candidates to fill the vacant home health and hospice director role.
As announced during the January board meeting, Courtney Owens, current home health and hospice director, will be taking on the quality director role as soon as her replacement is hired.
Turpin plans to begin interviewing candidates this week, with hopes to fill the vacant position as quickly as possible.
When discussing the personnel moves, Pamperien shared with the board that Whitney Hall, PA-C, at the TCMH Family Clinic in Licking, will be returning to a full time schedule in May.
“We are thrilled to be moving Whitney back to a full time schedule soon,” Pamperien said. “Her patients love her and will be so happy to have more access to appointments with her in the next couple of months.”
TCMH has participated with the Federal 340b Drug Discount Program for many years. Through participation in the program, TCMH is able to offer some prescribed medications at a reduced rate to certain qualifying patients.
The federal program launched in the early 1990’s, requires drug manufacturers to provide outpatient drugs to eligible organizations and covered entities at reduced prices.
Pamperien mentioned that several large pharmaceutical companies do not want to participate in the program any longer and TCMH has joined a class action suit to support the American Hospital Association and the Missouri Hospital Association in their fight to keep the program going.
Pamperien explained that many patients in the area are able to benefit from the program who would not be able to afford their medication otherwise.
“In 2020 alone, the hospital’s benefit from participating in the program was approximately $1.3M,” Pamperien said.
Present at the meeting were Murray; Pamperien; Turpin; Rachel Davis, public relations; Linda Milholen, MD; board members, Jim Perry, OD; Jay Loveland and Steve Pierce.
Board members, Omanez Fockler and Allan Branstetter were not present at the meeting.
The next meeting of the TCMH board of trustees is Tuesday, March 23 at 12 p.m. Due to current social distancing restrictions in place as a result of COVID-19, the meeting will take place via teleconference. To attend the meeting, please call (417) 967-1236 and you will be placed into the teleconference meeting.
