The Bradley County Medical Center Board met Thursday, July 24, for its monthly meeting, which began with a presentation by WDD Architects, Ideal Construction and EMA Engineering & Consulting. The firms presented renderings of three options for the board to consider: renovating the current facility, building a new facility on land owned by BCMC or building a new facility at a new site.
Renovations would provide updated department locations within the current square footage of the hospital at an estimated cost of $24.4 million. A new facility on land already owned by BCMC would be a 64,219-square-foot hospital facing Church Street, with an estimated cost of $34.4 million. A new facility on a different site would be 57,695 square feet and cost about $31 million.
CEO/CFO Leslie Huitt thanked the groups for the presentation after board members asked questions. She said there is no plan to seek a new tax to fund the project. Board Chairman Freddie Mobley also asked about potential grant opportunities.
In her executive report, Huitt noted that new American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) requirements have been released and that BCMC meets the qualifications for funds supporting rural hospitals.
The financial report was then presented. Patient volume has fluctuated during the summer, although the Senior Care Unit has seen increases for the past three weeks. The hospital reported a net income loss of $758,760. Sales tax revenue collected was $111,561.49, bringing the sales tax fund total to $5,322,572.44. Huitt said that while the income statement was unfavorable, her primary focus remains on controlling expenses and staying within budget. She also told the board that she had asked the city to install speed bumps on Jolley Street due to pedestrian safety concerns.
Chief Nursing Officer Jamie Wolfe said the hospital is working to obtain quotes from Mindray after receiving a quote from ScottCare for a new telemetry system, which also includes cardiopulmonary rehab software. Chief Operating Officer Leeanna Williams said ScottCare can provide additional billing information and data beyond telemetry and recommended the purchase after consulting with other facilities using the company. The board voted unanimously to use $50,000 of sales tax funds to move forward with the purchase from ScottCare.
Williams also reported that the Community Health Needs Assessment is underway. The Advisory Council held its first meeting July 10 and will meet again August 27 to review survey responses and begin developing a plan. The goal was to collect 150 responses, but 213 have already been received. The survey will remain open through Thursday, July 31.
The board approved updates to respiratory and utilization review policies. It was also announced that Dr. Russell Gregory will begin practicing at the BCMC Rural Health Clinic on Monday, August 4, and Dr. Cross, a cardiologist with Arkansas Cardiology, will begin seeing patients monthly at the BCMC Outpatient Clinic.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 28.
