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Roberts leaving SMH board; McMahan takes helm |
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Wednesday, 25 June 2008 |
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New leadership was approved Tuesday night during a Saline Memorial Hospital Board of Directors meeting.  Ronnie McMahan, the newly elected chairman of the Saline Memorial Hospital Board of Directors, receives a lab coat from Margaret Roberts, the retiring chairman. The passing of the lab coat is a board tradition.
Margaret Roberts conducted her final meeting as board chairman. She is leaving the board after 13 years of service and will be succeeded as chairman by Ronny McMahan.
Other new board officers are Mike McCauley, vice chairman; Terry Jensen, secretary; and Eddie Black, treasurer. Randy Fortner, the hospital’s chief executive officer, is president.
Lance Penfield is a new board director and McCauley and Dr. Clay Brashears have been elected to new terms. Board rules prohibit Roberts from serving an additional consecutive term.
At the conclusion of the board meeting, Fortner presented appreciation plaques to Roberts and thanked her for her service to the hospital and the community.
In keeping with a board tradition, Roberts presented a lab coat to McMahan, who wore the coat for the brief ceremony.
During the board’s business meeting, the 2008-09 budget was approved. The budget shows gross charges of $233 million with $92 million in expenses for a margin of $93,120.
Carla Robertson, chief financial officer, said significant losses will be seen from operations for several months because of the beginning of a cardiovascular program with income guarantees, clinic and catheterization lab construction.
“Gains from the program should be seen in February 2009,” Robertson said.
Fortner called it “a tight budget,” but said he believes “we can make it work.”
In discussing the budget, Robertson predicted an increase in patient days, surgical cases and emergency department visits.
She noted that the hospital showed a growth of 2.7 percent last year and 17.87 percent this year, but said expenses have grown proportionately.
Robertson also pointed out that the hospital’s census increased significantly this past year, but said the case mix has declined since new medical coding went into effect.
DRGs — or diagnostic related groups — determine the reimbursement the hospital receives from Medicare or other types of insurance. The most recent form of coding the hospital is required to use is called MSDRG — Medicare Severity Diagnostic Related Groups.
The new system reportedly is weighted by the severity of diagnosis, with more paid for sicker patients. Some hospitals, such as those in urban areas treating a sicker-than-average population, may see an increase in Medicare payments, but others are seeing a drop.
One of the significant aspects of the new system is that payment is now tied to the quality of care. Last year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced it will no longer pay for several conditions if they were not present on admission and recently proposed an expansion of the list.
In board action, approval was given to the purchase of digital mammography equipment that will cost $504,000.
Robertson said the hospital had experienced a loss in mammography revenue because of the lack of a digital mammography system. She said some physicians have referred their patients to other facilities that offer the digital systems.
Robertson said the board’s approval of the equipment Tuesday night will lead to “an order [for the equipment] tomorrow.”
Also approved was the purchase of medical transcriptionist software that transcriptionists may use to work at home. The cost was $46,000.
In other matters, the board approved the monthly medical staff report presented by Brashears, the hospital’s chief of staff.
The report includes a new policy that prohibits physicians from writing orders allowing patients to smoke, but requiring them instead to write orders for the use of smoking substitutes. SMH is a non-smoking facility.
Alice Jensen was welcomed as the vice president of patient care services. Until recent years, the position was known as director of nursing.
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Razorbacks
