Holiday Giving Program Begins at Hospital
November 16, 2018
TCMH Holds Annual Employee Celebration
December 7, 2018
“With two months left in the fiscal year, we have a lot of work ahead of us to try and close the gap in our year-to-date loss,” Wes Murray, TCMH chief executive officer explained to the board of trustees at their monthly meeting on Tuesday.
The local hospital just closed the sixth consecutive month of positive monthly financials, but the year-to-date loss is a constant reminder of the lower revenues the hospital faced in early 2018.
“Dr. Matthew Brown and Dr. Tricia Benoist started officially with us this month, so we are optimistic that outpatient revenue for November and December will be stronger than we have seen at any point so far this year,” Murray said.
Murray reported that TCMH now has a signed agreement in hand from Mercy to purchase the previous clinic location of Brown and Benoist.
“We look forward to finalizing the purchase of their old clinic building so we can get to work on all of the paperwork that must be completed before we can begin using it again,” Murray said.
“Overall revenues were up $803,711 from our budgeted expectations,” Linda Pamperien, TCMH chief financial officer said as she highlighted the achievements from the month of October.
Pamperien explained that both inpatient and outpatient volumes were higher than anticipated for the month which helped offset the higher expenses that occurred in a few different hospital departments.
“Inpatient volumes were up $60,373 from our budgeted expectations and outpatient revenue was up $745,774,” Pamperien said. “TCMH ended the month of October with a positive bottom line of $11,144 and a reduced year-to-date loss of $180,018.”
“The growth the hospital has had in the second half of the year is encouraging and we certainly look forward to the future,” Murray said.
Murray mentioned that with the addition of the new physicians this year, the hospital has been able to offer care to more patients than in previous years.
“Having 24/7 surgery coverage with the addition of Dr. Jason Loden in July, has been a win for TCMH and a win for the community,” Murray explained. “For the past several years, Dr. Linda Milholen has been providing surgical call coverage to the hospital all by herself. Now if she needs to take time off, we do not have to go uncovered. Together the two surgeons are supporting one another, the hospital, and our communities.”
Murray reported that the Houston City Council performed the second reading of the Community Improvement District (CID) bill at their meeting on November 19. The council members voted immediately following the reading of the bill and it passed by a 3-2 vote and one member abstained.
“Finishing the new surgery center is key to moving the hospital in the right direction,” Murray explained. “Our patients depend on us to be able to deliver good care and updating the surgical area that is over 40 years old now is a must.”
Murray explained that gaining full-time family medicine physicians to serve the communities of Mountain Grove and Licking this year has been an important accomplishment.
“We are trying to do our best to meet the patient care needs of our rural areas, and the positive downstream revenue to the hospital is crucial,” Murray said.
Another positive impact for the month came from the occupational therapy department. Earlier this year, the TCMH physical therapy department began offering occupational therapy services and the department’s numbers continue to grow. Occupational therapy’s revenues were up $10,000 in October.
Kaitlyn Ehlers, occupational therapist, registered, licensed, began providing care at TCMH in March. Ehlers works with autistic children, children who may have sensory processing disorders, and adults who may be recovering from a stroke and need to regain important skills to maintain their daily lives.
Murray explained that Ehlers is a wonderful asset to the physical therapy department and that a large part of her success at TCMH has come from her collaboration efforts in working with Dr. William Wright’s autistic patients.
“The word is certainly getting out about her warm personality and her gift of working with children,” Murray said. “It’s no wonder her department is growing so fast.”
“All of our departments have worked tremendously hard this year in managing their expenses, even when their volumes increase,” Murray said. “I look forward to seeing what our great group of clinicians and staff can accomplish in the last two months of the year.”
Present at the meeting were Murray; Pamperien; Doretta Todd-Willis, chief nursing officer; Rachel Davis, director of public relations; Amanda Turpin, quality director; Jonathan Beers, DO; board members, Jim Perry, OD; Omanez Fockler; Janet Wiseman and Mark Hampton.
The next meeting of the TCMH board of trustees is Tuesday, December 18 at 12 p.m. in the hospital board room.