Governance

Washington County Hospital

Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, September 25, 2007 7:00 p.m. 
 

Members Present:

Dale Blohm, Chair

Jim Cange

Greg Engele

Ken Harre

J. W. Metcalf

 

Members Not Present: 

Carol Bishop, excused

Penny Brinkman

Fred Klug, excused

Harry Jankowski, excused

 

Others Present:

Nancy Newby, CEO

Ruth Kellerman, CNE (exited 8:25 p.m.)

Kim Larkin, CIO

Elaine Matzenbacher, CFO

Melodie Wilkey, HR Director (exited 8:25 p.m.)

 

Others Not Present:

Marc Zerbe, M.D., Medical Staff President, excused

 

Called to Order: 7:10 p.m.

Adjourned:  9:26 p.m.

 

Meeting Agenda Additions/Corrections

   The agenda of the September 25, 2007, meeting of the Washington County Hospital Board of Directors was presented for review and approval.  The following amendments were recommended:

• Delete: Item II., B., Joint Conference Committee Meeting Minutes
• Add: Item IV., E., Resignation
• Add: Item IV., F., Buildings and Grounds Update
• Add Item VI., D., 3., SSM Lease

      On a motion by Greg Engele and second by J. W. Metcalf, the Board voted unanimously to approve the September 25, 2007, meeting agenda with the aforementioned amendments. 

Previous Board Meeting Minutes

Finance Committee Meetings Minutes

      The following meetings minutes were presented for review and approval:

• Board meeting, August 28, 2007; and
• Finance Committee meetings, August 15 and 28, 2007.

      On a motion by Ken Harre and second by Jim Cange the Board voted unanimously to aApprove the aforementioned meetings minutes.

 

Financial and Statistical Report

      Elaine Matzenbacher presented the Financial and Statistical report for August 2007.  Highlights of the report were:  Total Patient Revenue was $1,932,698.  Total Provisions were $791,291.  Total Net Operating Revenue was $1,166,130.  Total Operating Expenses for August were $1,175,957.  Income from Operations was ($9,827), with YTD Income ($193,076).  August’s total Non-Operating Revenue was $30,792.  Income prior to Depreciation was $73,963, resulting in a Total Income of $20,965.

      On a motion by J. W. Metcalf and second by Greg Engele, the Board voted unanimously to approve the August 2007 Financial and Statistical report. 

Joint Conference Committee Report

      No meeting was conducted due to lack of quorum.  However, members present discussed the following:

 

1. Practice development - Both physicians reported good volume growth this month.  Staffing adjustments and work flow changes are taking place in RHC with physician input, and physicians commented positively.

 

2. Marketing ideas were discussed:

a) Run new surgery ad highlighting procedures done here and low infection rate.

 

b) RHC ad focusing on extended hours, short wait times, low total visit time, same day appointments.

c) Should we consider a quarterly Report Card to the community in a format similar to annual report?

 

d) Ads for new physicians and new specialty clinics.

 

e) Open house “celebration” for Board and community.

3. Discussion of RHC physicians as group practice - Physicians are very supportive of each other and the hospital.  They want to work with the Board members to improve practices and financial success of the hospital.  Dale will have more discussion of the Dashboard at the next Board meeting.  Physicians will be invited to participate in the Board’s Strategic Planning Retreat.

 

4. New physicians:

a) Dr. Angela Freehill, orthopedics.

b) Drs. Codd and Watson, vascular surgery, have expressed an interest in doing a clinic at WCH.

5. Physicians present were supportive of the radiologists’ request for night service coverage.

 

6. Proposed next meeting for Joint Conference Committee meeting was January 2008.

 

Contract Committee Report

      The Contract Committee met preceding this evening’s Board meeting.  A full report will be given in closed session.

 

Marketing Committee Report

      No meeting was conducted due to lack of quorum.  However, members present had a good discussion of Marketing Matters book which the CEO distributed to committee members, and a preliminary discussion was held about market assessment options.

 

Annual Audit Report

 

Medicare Cost Report

      Mark Dallas of Kerber, Eck & Braeckel (KEB), LLP, presented detailed results of the Washington County Hospital audit as of April 30, 2007, and the Medicare Cost Report.  WCH’s financial picture has shown a significant improvement over the previous fiscal year.

 

FLEX CAH HIT Grant

      Kim Larkin reported the following:

• Federal IT grants were awarded to 16 states, including Illinois. 
• Funds will be issued to Illinois Department of Public Health, which will be forwarded to ICAHN for project distribution to the involved hospitals--WCH, Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center and Salem Township Hospital. 
• Mary Ring has been selected as project manager.
• The Governor’s office issued a press release this past week.
• Reviewed in detail the Patient Health Information Network (PHIN) information--an overview of the project (Attachment A).

 

Board Retreat

      A Board Education grant will fund the annual Board Retreat.  Board consensus was to have the Retreat on Saturday, November 3.  Grant funds are to be used by the end of October; however, Nancy will request a deadline extension.

 

Golf Tournament

      Elaine Matzenbacher reported the following:

• Cash received to date is $2,350.
• Three teams registered.
• Seven sponsors--four gold.
• Several verbal commitments have been received.

 

Resignation

• Chair Dale Blohm read Carol Bishop’s letter of resignation from WCH Board of Directors. 
• Washington County Board Chair, Dave Meyer, has been notified.
• It is expected that a new WCH Board member will be appointed by December, in accordance with Washington County Board processes.

 

Buildings and Grounds Update

• Praxair Project - WCH’s renovation of a partial structure to house oxygen tanks has been delayed due to proposed drawings requiring approval by an architectural firm.  WCH’s plans have been approved by The Lawrence Group, and the project may proceed.
• HVAC Project - Delay of this project has been due to matrix ballast readings not meeting specifications.  Farnsworth’s has made corrections, at their expense, which have finally met specifications and have been submitted to the State.  A State inspection will be conducted, and State approval will finalize the project.

 

Community Comments/Questions and Answers

      There were no questions from community members present. 

Closed Meeting

      At 8:25 p.m. on a motion by Ken Harre and second by Jim Cange the Board took a roll call vote to enter closed session under Open Meetings Public Act 88-621 Sections 2(C)(17)(21). Blohm AYE, Cange AYE, Engele AYE, Harre AYE, Metcalf AYE.  Motion carried.

      At 9:04 p.m. on a motion by Jim Cange and second by Ken Harre, the Board took a roll call vote to leave closed session and re-enter open session.  Blohm AYE, Cange AYE, Engele AYE, Harre AYE, Metcalf AYE.  Motion carried. 

Board Closed Meeting Minutes

      On a motion by Ken Harre and second by Greg Engele, the Board voted unanimously to approve Board closed meeting minutes, August 28, 2007.

 

Acute Care, Inc. Contract

 

(Emergency Room Physician Services)

      On a motion by J. W. Metcalf and second by Greg Engele, the board voted unanimously to sign the Amendment to the current contract and allow it to evergreen on an annual basis.

 

Radiology Services Contracts

      On a motion by Jim Cange and second by Ken Harre, the board voted unanimously to contract with Clinical Radiologists of Springfield, Illinois, for night radiology services.

      On a motion by Greg Engele and second by Jim Cange, a roll call vote was taken to approve radiology service contracts with Donald Burr, M.D., and Robin Biermann, M.D.

      Cange AYE, Engele AYE, Harre AYE, Metcalf AYE.  Motion carried.

      The physicians’ contracts must now be approved by the Pinckneyville Community Hospital Board for contracts to be valid.

      It was noted that two key elements of Drs. Burr and Biermann’s contract are:

• Physicians will contract with the same insurance companies as the hospitals.
• Physicians will be available on site for diagnostic mammography.

      WCH will re-evaluate the diagnostic mammography data at the next meeting and then monthly over the following three months. 

Adjournment

      On a motion by Greg Engele and second by J. W. Metcalf, the Board voted unanimously to adjourn the meeting at 9:26 p.m. 

Respectfully submitted, 

J. W. Metcalf, Secretary, Board of Directors

Washington County Hospital