Oncology, COVID top RCH board agenda
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Loss of the oncology clinic, changes in employee health insurance and reinstatement of some recently dropped procedures related to Covid 19 management were all topics of discussion in a brief regular monthly Ringgold County Hospital board meeting of trustees, held Monday, July 19.
In his last meeting as hospital administrator, Gordon Winkler shared some disappointing and some positive news for RCH and oncology patients. Winkler reported a letter was received from the current oncology clinic services provider, Mission Cancer+Blood (aka Medical Oncology and Hematology Associates [MOHA] of Iowa) that their contract with RCH will be terminated as per contract terms and the last clinic day for their services will be August 12. When board members asked for the reasoning behind termination of services, Winkler explained that Mission Cancer stated oncologists are in short supply and spread very thin making it difficult to provide services to all rural areas and that Mission Cancer was looking at a new regional model to make it easier to share the available physicians. Although this will require travel for clinic services for local oncology patients, Winkler did state that patients needing oncology care will still be able to have lab work, imaging, chemotherapy and any other prescribed services that can be provided at RCH not requiring the presence of an oncologist.
Dr. Bruce Ricker was present to explain the reinstatement of some measures at RCH and MAMC due to inceasing COVID 19 cases and concern for the Delta variant now being reported. Ricker said they will be clamping back down again on masking, social distancing and will be taking temps again for those visiting the clinic.
Winkler also reported on changes in employee health insurance for RCH employees. Effective August 1, United Medical Resources (formerly United Health Care) will administer the hospital’s employee health insurance. Winkler stated current employees enrolled in the existing insurance plan will transfer without any election required. There was an open enrollment period offered July 14-26 for employees wishing to enroll and there will be a second open enrollment period in November to begin coverage in January. Employee contributions and co-pays and deductibles will all stay the same, according to Winkler.
Missy Walter, CFO, gave the financial report stating both “inpatient and outpatient numbers were good for the month of June, with five inpatient surgeries performed.” Walter cited outpatient surgeries, pharmacy, lab, MRI and vascular services for the positive budget variance on the outpatient side. Inpatient revenue was over budget by $48K and outpatient revenue was over by $190K. MAMC revenue fell short of budget by $7K with overall gross revenue over budget by $232K and net revenue over budget by $176K. The 340B program netted $32K for the month with total operating revenue for June over $1.9M.
On the expense side salaries and wages were under budget by $55K, benefits exceeded budget by $530K with an IPERS pension liability entry accounting for $550K of that amount as an administrative expenses. In other areas, contract labor and fees were under budget by $65K, fees were under budget by $48K, supplies were over budget by $6K due to pharmacy and oncology drugs and lab supplies. Ortho supplies were high, as well, due to the number of inpatient surgeries. Ten new assets were put into place mostly purchased with funds provided from Covid programs.
Walter summarized the month as “good overall” reporting the loss for the month of $84K due in large part to the IPERS liability entry.
