Hospital holds regular board meeting
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Publisher’s Note: On Monday, Ringgold County Hospital announced that the administrative agreement between MercyOne and the hospital will end in August (See RCH on pg 1).
By Jeff Snyder
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — The Ringgold County Hospital Board of Directors held their regularly scheduled meeting last Wednesday with several individuals in leadership positions participating via telephone.
Each department was called upon to deliver updates as per the published agenda. Chief among the presenters was now former hospital Chief Financial Officer Clint Reynolds, whose last day on the job was last Friday.
While his replacement has yet to be identified, there is an active search underway. During his audio presentation, Reynolds described an improving range of financials, month over month as well as a positive year-to-date showing of solid numbers.
Although the numbers looked positive the underlying concern at the MercyOne level is one of cautiousness. A memo presented to the board from MercyOne, spelled out the reasons for concern. Trinity Health, the parent company of MercyOne has continued to express concern for the future of rural health care. Concerns over recent government funding policies changes has placed a spotlight on the future revenue streams.
As it stands, Medicare and more specifically, Medicaid make up a large percentage of the revenues for rural hospitals. Cuts in medicaid specifically, threaten to erode the case for uninterrupted care. MercyOne has expressed that “it is not possible to absorb these financial impacts and remain sustainable without making adjustments.”
The information provided did not mention specific action plans designed to ward off these “Uncomfortable changes.” They did go on to notate that there is a good foundation in place that will help the system adjust and manage current challenges and position the hospital for a vibrant future of high quality care for generations to come.
RCH Chief Executive Officer, Nicky Gilbertson expressed disappointment in the hospital’s inability to attract new medical talent, specifically a general surgeon and a family practitioner. Gilbertson indicated that she had been in contact with nearby CHI Health Mercy Corning Hospital and spoke to them regarding a recruiter they have used to some success. The board will consider making a change in the recruitment process in an effort to fill these two positions in the coming months.
The board also discussed some ongoing construction projects that were as a result of hail damage that originated in the spring of 2024. It was indicated that most, if not all the work has been completed at this time.
Gilbertson also went on to explain that there was no recent updates to report on a number of pending grants the hospital was in line for.
During the session, two new board members were formally sworn in and added to the roles; Clint Spurrier and Dr. Dane Johnson.
Ringgold County Hospital recently celebrated their 75 anniversary. This milestone was recognized with a dinner and fund raiser honoring the dedicated employees and staff who give of their time and expertise to the community. The oft overlooked tertiary services such as EMT and the general ambulance corps were also singled out for their outstanding performance records. Ongoing changes to administrations at the federal level often hold the financial cards for rural communities such as Ringgold County. This places an emphasis on the importance of local representation selection, as these men and women are the voices that represent rural America to Washington, specifically congress. Subtle changes to the social safety nets in place can and do have a significant impact on the quality of care delivery at the local levels. Without stable financial footing, services tend to diminish. Ringgold County is wholly dedicated to not let that be the outcome for this facility. Between Trinity Health, Mercy One and the local staff, Ringgold County Hospital will move into the future with the same high quality health care delivery system the community has come to expect. Should adjustments be needed, they intend to do so with little to no impact on the quality of care delivered.
