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Texas County Memorial Hospital has inked a contract with Chad Law, DO, a family medicine and obstetrics physician that will provide weekend hospital coverage, board members heard at their monthly meeting on Tuesday.
Law and his wife, Chandra, recently visited the hospital and community and decided it was a place where he would like to practice medicine part-time. Law is currently serving in the United States Air Force and is stationed in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Law received his undergraduate degree at the University of South Dakota followed by medical school at the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine. He interned at Capital Region Medical Center and family medicine residency at Saint Louis University Scott Air Force Base.
“Dr. Law will cover obstetrics, pediatrics, and medicine call one weekend every month,” Linda Pamperien, TCMH chief financial officer, said. “He will be a great addition to our medical staff, and we are very excited to have him at Texas County.”
June financials were also presented by Pamperien at the board meeting. They reflected a decrease of $305,761 in overall revenues from budgeted expectations for the month.
“Our inpatient volumes took the majority of the hit again this month and were down $809,182, a 44.7 percent decrease from budgeted expectations,” Pamperien said.
The contractual adjustments at TCMH – the difference between the charge for care provided and the amount of money the hospital receives for the services – were higher again for the month.
“Our outpatient revenue was up significantly in comparison with budgeted expectations for the month with a $537,014 increase,” Pamperien said.
Pamperien noted that the hospital’s overall expenses were down $184,194 for the month.
“We continue to see a reduction in COVID cases,” Pamperien said. “Our COVID expense was under budget by $157,566 for the month.”
The hospital ended the month of June with a negative bottom line of $320,080 and a year-to-date loss of $2,367,750.
In old business, Jeff Gettys, foundation director, discussed progress with the new surgical center. TCMH is currently waiting on final architectural approvals by the USDA and Rural Development which are funding a large portion of the center. Gettys told board members that final construction on the project may be underway by the end of 2022.
Board members also heard that the TCMH surgery department and laboratory received new equipment in July. A new C-Arm mobile imaging unit for surgery arrived on July 18. “The C-Arm will provide real-time, high-resolution x-ray images, enabling the surgeon to monitor the progress of the procedure and make decisions,” Pamperien explained.
New microbiology equipment in the laboratory will be live as of August 8.
“Microbiology will enable the hospital to do blood, urine, and wound cultures in-house rather than sending the cultures out to a larger lab,” Pamperien said. “Having this in-house will improve patient care in many ways.”
Courtney Owens, TCMH chief nursing officer, introduced Aaron Shuman, the new surgery director at TCMH. Shuman will provide leadership and oversee all aspects of surgical care at the hospital.
“We are excited to have Aaron as a part of our team to lead the surgery center,” Owens said. “The surgery director is vital for the hospital’s patient safety and quality of service, and we have confidence that he will do an excellent job.” Shuman is working with Kim Jordan, longtime surgery department director, as she transitions out of her leadership role as part of the planned change for the department.
TCMH is the recipient of a Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program grant of $258,376. According to Gettys, the funds will be utilized to meet a few needs at the hospital – a portable x-ray, ambulance cot lifts, emergency services radio tower, upholstery of clinic chairs, and possibly a new LED sign for the Houston Medical Office Complex.
Board members were also invited to participate in an upcoming legislative visit to the hospital, planned for August 8. TCMH officials plan to provide legislators with a tour of the hospital and discuss rural healthcare challenges and opportunities.
Present at the meeting were Pamperien; Gettys; Owens; April Crites, quality/risk management director; Bill Bridges, emergency services director; Tricia Benoist, MD, vice chief of staff; Helania Wulff, public relations, marketing, and physician recruiting director; Renina Pearce, medical staff coordinator; board members, Jim Perry, OD; Joleen Durham; Steve Pierce; Allan Branstetter, and Jay Loveland.
The next meeting of the TCMH board of trustees is Tuesday, August 23 at 12 p.m. in the hospital board room.