The Bradley County Medical Center board met on December 28, 2023, to discuss various items. The meeting was opened with the minutes from November.
The financial report was given for December. Senior care is up 53 percent from November and total gross patient revenue was $3.8 million. The net operating revenue was $1.5 million. There was a net loss of $272,000.00. Cash increased $30,000.00 and accounts receivable was down seven percent from last month which was a total of $630,000.00. Sales tax came to a total of $123,000.00.
From there, the board heard executive updates from Leslie Huitt, Jamie Wolfe, and Leeanna Williams.
Huitt reported that positive things in November included a decrease in the accounts receivable balance of $630,000.00, and a $30,000.00 increase in cash making that the first time an increase had been seen in a few months. The hospital was able to put $40,000.00 back in reserve funds due to the closing out of CD’s and the reinvestment of interest.
The board should continue to see expenditures improve with the closing of the OB department.
“The turnaround in cash in just one month has been pretty phenomenal,” Huitt said.
One of the largest things that hospital staff is focusing on at the moment is the transition to Meditech. Meditech is a completely new software system for the hospital and clinic that will cause everything from patient registration to billing to change. The projected start date for Meditech is January 23, 2024, which the hospital staff refers to as the “go live” date. During this time, the staff asks for understanding and patience.
Jamie Wolfe reported that there have been large increases in the medsurge area. COVID has picked up, however, numbers are not as bad as last year. Illnesses have been milder this year. However, more employees have been out sick.
“We are definitely in that prime time right now for respiratory illnesses,” Wolfe said.
He also reported that there has been an uptick in flu and RSV cases.
Senior care has seen significant increases. On multiple days, there have been six to seven patients.
Leeanna Williams reported that there will be small changes to policies starting in January. When the hospital moved over to an electronic system, more time had to be spent reviewing policies. The current three-step process involves manager review, policy committee review, and then going before the entire board. The goal is to keep the first two steps but turn the last step into giving a paper form to board members Freddie Mobley and Dr. Joe Wharton for signatures.
On December 27, 2023, a few hospitals around the state received bomb threats via email, but BCMC has not received any threats. However, to prepare the hospital staff, an email was sent out containing a release from the Arkansas Hospital Association saying that they were aware of the threats. The release also said that the hospitals that had reported the threats had been checked and cleared.
The date of the next meeting will be announced in the coming weeks due to the start of Meditech.
