June yields positive financials for TCMH

Houston, MO During the most challenging times healthcare has ever seen, Texas County Memorial Hospital has worked hard to keep patients and staff safe while keeping all of the services open that the community relies on. Despite several months in a row of decreased volumes, the hospital was able to close out the month of June with a positive bottom line.

During the monthly hospital board of trustees meeting, board members learned that the positive month came as result of recording $502,775 in federal CARES Act funds that the hospital received on June’s ledger. In addition, a few outpatient departments did manage to exceed their budgeted expectations for the month.

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Linda Pamperien, chief financial officer at TCMH, explained in further detail what took place during the month of June.

“Overall revenues were down $1,256,937 from our budgeted expectations,” Pamperien said. “Inpatient volumes were down $414,715, and outpatient revenue was down $779,023.”

Pamperien mentioned that although there were five weeks of bad debt to be written off in June, it was the highest dollar amount the hospital has ever seen.

Bad debt for the month of June was $956,102.62, an unsettling new milestone reached by the county hospital.

“The hospital’s uncompensated care dollars have increased dramatically over the last four years,” Wes Murray, chief executive officer at TCMH said. “From 2016 to 2019 it increased 23 percent.”

Murray added that although the new record achieved was not one that should be celebrated, he acknowledged that it is a continual issue and it cannot be sustained forever.

“Many of the people that we take care of are unable to pay their medical bills,” Murray said. “Ultimately, we end up having to write them off.”

TCMH ended the month of June with a positive bottom line of $39,641 and a year-to-date loss of $1,737,234.

Jessica Gettys, pharmacist at TCMH presented the new Meds-to-Beds program to the board members.

The Meds-to-Beds program is available for all inpatients at TCMH through the hospital’s own retail pharmacy, Hutcheson Pharmacy.

“The service is great for patients so they can avoid an extra stop on their way home once they are discharged from the hospital,” Gettys said. “Hutcheson Pharmacy will deliver the prescriptions to the patient’s bedside before they go home, and through our bedside consultation that we offer, our goal is to make sure that they have all of their medication questions answered.”

Murray mentioned that Gettys’ passion for the Meds-to-Beds program and what she does for patients on a daily basis exudes her.

“I admire Jessica’s approach to improving patient care and it is evident in all that she does,” Murray said.

Murray mentioned that due to an extremely low supply of reusable cloth facemasks available, all TCMH staff, patients and visitors are now being asked to bring their own face coverings with them to wear when they enter the hospital or clinics.

“We are so very appreciative of all the donations of handmade masks that we received from people close to our community and those far away,” Murray said. “Due to the huge demand that we have had for them, we have depleted our supply.”

TCMH is still accepting donations of facemasks or other personal protective equipment. To make a donation, please contact Kelly Bell, purchasing director at (417) 967-1300.

Present at the meeting were Murray; Pamperien; Doretta Todd-Willis, chief nursing officer; Rachel Davis, public relations; Amanda Turpin, quality; Linda Milholen, MD; board members, Jim Perry, OD; Omanez Fockler; Jay Loveland; Allan Branstetter and Steve Pierce.

The next meeting of the TCMH board of trustees is Tuesday, August 25 at 12 p.m. Due to current social distancing restrictions in place as a result of COVID-19, the meeting will take place via teleconference. To attend the meeting, please call (417) 967-1236 and you will be placed into the teleconference meeting.

 

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