Delta Regional Authority Investment to Benefit TCMH Surgery Center
October 14, 2022
Dr. Chad Law, New Hospitalist Physician at TCMH
October 31, 2022
The Texas County Memorial Hospital has inked a three-year contract with Kristina Grant, DO, a family medicine and obstetrics physician, board members heard at their monthly meeting on Tuesday.
Grant is a second-year resident at the Monument Health Family Medicine Residency in Rapid City, SD. She will join TCMH as a full-time employed physician in August 2024 after her residency program ends. Grant, her husband, Jordan, and two boys, Ethan and Liam, plan to relocate to Texas County.
Dr. Grant will practice family medicine with inpatients and outpatients from birth to the end of life, including practicing obstetrics with surgical privileges.
Grant is a graduate of Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine at A.T. Still University in Kirksville, MO.
“Dr. Grant is the type of person that would have been welcome at any hospital and community in the nation,” Wes Murray, interim chief executive officer at TCMH, said. “We are blessed to have recruited a physician of Dr. Grant’s caliber, and she will be a great asset in our community.”
Helania Wulff, TCMH director of physician recruitment, detailed current recruiting efforts.
“We are actively seeking an internal medicine and additional family medicine physicians,” Wulff said. “Screening interviews are ongoing with potential candidates.”
According to Wulff, Latricia Juneau, FNP, who recently signed a contract with TCMH will be onsite this week for a tour and to meet hospital and clinic staff. Juneau will begin seeing patients at the Houston Clinic in December.
Linda Pamperien, TCMH chief financial officer, said a contract has been signed with the 360 Degree Medicine group. This group will begin providing the TCMH emergency department with physician call coverage beginning November 22.
“We are pleased to partner with 360 Degree Medicine group and their physicians,” Pamperien said. “This group has already proven to deliver quality patient care with a few shifts that they have provided coverage for.”
Pamperien said Stephanie Thurman, a family nurse practitioner (FNP), who currently works in our medical-surgical department will begin practicing family medicine part-time at our TCMH Cabool Medical Clinic alongside Dr. Stephen Hawkins.
“We are fortunate to have Stephanie at our Cabool Clinic,” Pamperien said. “We are confident she will provide quality care to our patients.”
Murray gave an update on the ongoing search for a permanent chief executive officer.
According to Murray, the search committee has narrowed the search down to two potential candidates and both will be visiting the hospital and community the first week of November.
Murray reported the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) arrived at the hospital on Monday, October 17, for an unannounced full CMS recertification survey. He said the last time this type of survey was conducted was in 2015.
Murray applauded the efforts of Courtney Owens, TCMH chief nursing officer, and all the TCMH staff involved in the survey for a job well done. CMS was very complimentary of our TCMH staff’s promptness and efficiency in the process.
“Following the survey, the State has 10 working days to provide the notice of deficiencies and then the hospital will have 10 calendar days to submit a plan of correction for any noted deficiencies,” Owens said. “We are very pleased with how well the survey went as the surveyors expressed their appreciation for the cooperation of our TCMH staff.”
Ms. April Crites, TCMH quality and risk management director, said a customer team compiled of employees from various departments conducted a recent customer service Bootcamp with 226 employees in attendance. The training focused on our “We Care” acronyms – Working together, empathy, communication, accountability, respect, and enthusiasm.
“Our main objective of the TCMH Bootcamp is to remind our employees how important customer service is on a daily basis in every aspect of quality patient care.” Crites said.
According to Crites, the training was well received with another Bootcamp scheduled in November for the employees who were unable to attend the first sessions.
Pamperien presented the financial report for the month of September.
“Our outpatient revenue had a positive increase of $397,572 from our budgeted expectations for the month,” Pamperien said.
“Our inpatient volumes took another hit this month and were down $761,421, a 42.1 percent decrease from our budgeted expectations,” Pamperien reported. “However, we are pleased that the hospital’s overall expenses were down $86,720 for the month.”
The hospital ended the month of September with a negative bottom line of $511,711 and a year-to-date loss of $3,599,165.
Texas County Commissioners, Texas County Sheriff, and a deputy were in attendance to discuss the current jail contract. The board agreed to extend the current contract until November 30 while contract negotiations are ongoing.
TCMH also signed a letter of support for the City of Houston for its fiber project.
State Representative Bennie Cook discussed upcoming legislation for the next session involving nurse anesthetists, mid-level providers, and pharmacists.
Present at the meeting were Murray; Wulff; Pamperien; Owens; Crites; Long; Casey; Heiney; Lindsey; Douglas; Cook; Tricia Benoist, MD, chief of staff; board members, Joleen Durham; Jim Perry, OD; Steve Pierce; Treena Heiney. Present via teleconference were board members, Jay Loveland and Allan Branstetter.
The next meeting of the TCMH board of trustees is Tuesday, November 29 at 12 p.m. in the hospital board room.