In May 22-28 issue
By Greg Wells
Times Journal Managing Editor

RUSSELL SPRINGS - It was a better month in April for Russell County Hospital than in some recent months.

The hospital's Chief Financial Officer, Ken Kimsal told the board that the hospital showed an overall profit of $80,402 for the month and is just over a quarter-million dollars to the good for the year so far.

He said the hospital showed a net profit in operations. Operations is the section of the financial report that compares the cost of providing services to what the hospital was paid that month for services.

Kimsal said they were still behind what they were budgeted for the year in operations net, but showed signs it could be improving.

"If things go well for the next couple of months we should have over $300,000 at the end of the year," Kimsal said.

Bad news was that the federal Medicaid/Medicare program decided it may have recently overpaid the hospital, but Kimsal said any chargeback against the hospital was likely to come as the next disbursement is paid, reducing the impact on the hospital's cashflow.

A public meeting July 12 has been set for the administration and board to explain to the public the hospital's pending termination of their contract to provide patience service to those insured by Anthem Blue Cross / Blue Shield.

The meeting will be at 6 p.m., CEO Gary DelForge said. The actual termination of the contract will not be in effect unless the insurer and the hospital are unable to conclude negotiations for a new contract and then not until this fall.

The hospital board gave the final approval for the sale of the Jamestown Clinic, also known as the Monin Building to the city and instructed the CEO to apply that $145,000 against the hospital's bank debt.

The board approved a change to the hospital's foundation board. The change adds two at large members to the board, to improve the board's record of soliciting charitable donations to that foundation.

The foundation was established as a non-profit entity to seek out donations for the hospital.

In DelForge's report to the board included information regarding a survey of the hospital's labs by the accreditation group.

He said the inspection had shown deficiencies related to the cramped conditions in the labs. They sited danger to personnel and possible adverse impacts on the quality of work.

DelForge again requested that the board approve a facilities master plan study in order for the hospital to analyze its space needs.