TCMH Awarded $100,000 Emergency Medical Services Grant

Texas County Memorial Hospital has received a $100,000 grant for ambulance services from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, hospital board members heard at the monthly board of trustees meeting.

TCMH will provide 10 percent of the total grant as a required match. The $110,000 grant funding will purchase six motorized stair chairs, six McGrath laryngoscopes, and an Airvo high-flow device for our emergency medical services (EMS) department.

The new motorized stair chairs, replacing the hospital’s manual ones, will be a crucial improvement for EMS staff. The chairs can hold up to 500 pounds, significantly reducing the physical effort required to transport patients and providing a controlled and stable ascent and descent. The new chairs will provide additional safety for the patients and the EMS staff.

The McGrath laryngoscopes employ video visualization to address various scenarios associated with difficult airways, such as an oversized tongue, enlargement of the neck, or constrained oral spaces. In situations such as anaphylactic shock or airway obstructions, healthcare professionals will use the laryngoscopes to help prepare patients for intubation.

The Airvo high-flow device will deliver the right mix of air and oxygen for the respiratory needs of patients, including pediatric patients, during transport. It uses a pulse oximeter to monitor oxygen levels to ensure patients get the appropriate amount, increasing patient comfort and safety.

“We would like to express our gratitude to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for their outstanding support and generosity towards TCMH,” Bill Bridges, TCMH chief executive officer, said. “Thanks to their funding, TCMH will have some of the latest available healthcare technology to deliver efficient and high-quality medical services to the residents of Texas County.”

Bridges also informed board members that the hospital was awarded $750 from the Houston Community Foundation for the Safe Pregnancies, Healthy Babies – Doppler project.  These funds will provide the hospital with a newer obstetric Doppler ultrasound.

“The OB Doppler enables healthcare providers to monitor blood flow to the fetus, placenta, and uterine vessels non-invasively, offering crucial information about fetal well-being, especially in high-risk pregnancies,” Tricia Benoist, MD, a family medicine physician, said. “This is a significant technological advancement for those facing pregnancy complications in our rural community.”

April Crites, TCMH quality and risk management director, discussed the hospital’s third-quarter Quality Assurance Performance Plan results and highlighted its progress in improving stroke outcomes using RapidAI software.

“During the third quarter, the hospital successfully retained nine patients for treatment at TCMH, avoiding the need for their transfer to another healthcare facility,” stated Crites. “Many of our patients are grateful that we have the technology to know when we can treat them close to home.”

Bridges reported that he and Jeff Gettys, TCMH Healthcare Foundation director, attended the Houston City Council meeting and received a check for $174,503 from the Community Improvement District quarter-cent sales tax. This funding will reimburse the hospital for the new surgery center’s HVAC system, administrative fees, and insurance.

“The new surgery center has truly transformed our hospital,” Bridges remarked. “From April 1 through September 30, 2024, we’ve seen a substantial increase in surgeries at TCMH, with 619 performed, compared to 534 during the same period in 2023.”

Bridges shared that the TCMH employee activities committee collected food items and prepared ten Thanksgiving baskets to assist those in need this year from employee donations.

“It was heartwarming to fully embrace the spirit of the Thanksgiving season and share it with others,” Bridges said. “I sincerely appreciate all our employees who participated and donated to make this happen.”

In other news, Linda Pamperien, TCMH chief financial officer, presented the October financials, which reflected an increase of $1,201,746, a 15.0 percent increase in overall revenues from budgeted monthly expectations.

“Our outpatient revenue increased $1,254,596, a 19.3 percent increase, while our inpatient volumes were right in line with our budgeted monthly expectations,” Pamperien said.

The hospital had 81 admissions in October, up 72 admissions from the same time frame in 2023, with 738 admissions year-to-date.

The financial report reflected that the hospital’s profit/loss report showed a positive bottom line for October, with an increase of $60,424 and a year-to-date decrease of $403,212. The earnings before interest, depreciation, and amortization (EBIDA) for the respective month were positive at $329,440, and the year-to-date EBIDA was positive at $2,096,482.

Present at the meeting were Bridges; Benoist; Crites; Pamperien; Courtney Owens, chief nursing officer; Helania Wulff, public relations and marketing director, and board members Jim Perry, OD; Ross Richardson; Joleen Durham; Jennifer Hugenot, and Jerri Crump.

Due to the holidays, the next meeting of the TCMH board of trustees is Monday, December 30, at 12 p.m. in the hospital board room.