[Editor's Note: This is part 2 and the final article of a two-part series on the GRMC June 26, 2024 board meeting. It will cover the administration reports and actions taken after the executive session.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

The next portion of the Gila Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees June 26, 2024 meeting began with administration reports.

Chief Nursing Officer Ron Green said that starting July 4 and running through July12, Gila Regional surgical services would be operating in a limited capacity due to the installation of a new washer for surgical tools. He said all elective surgeries would take place before or after those dates and only GI scopes and emergencies would be treated. He noted it was a fairly extensive process to put in the washer and the drains and things of that nature.

"There will have to be repairs, so we plan to be down for that limited time," Green said. "We have partnered with Sierra Vista Hospital in Truth or Consequences, so if we have emergency cases, we can use their washers and equipment. We have a limited number of sets, in case. We want to be prepared. We've been planning this, and, if needed, we will have our equipment washed in T or C and then brought back here for sterilization."

Board Member William Hawkins asked what kind of disruption it could cause.

Green said if elective services are set for that week, "we would either push it up a week or put it back a week. We have been planning this for quite a while, so we communicated with all the surgeons not to set up any elective surgeries during that time, so we have none that we've had to move."

To a comment from Member Seth Traeger, Green agreed that surgeons might be taking vacation that week. "We will be working on July 4 to get the drain set up. We're trying to do it with the least amount of interruptions."

The next report, the financial report, came from Chief Executive Officer Robert Whitaker. He noted the hospital had 121 discharges in May, a bit lower than budgeted, and fewer than in May 2023, which had 139. He said the discharges included two swing bed patients and 22 deliveries for the month.

"We continue to see growth in outpatient visits, with 5,380 in May, above the budget of 4,833, and more than prior year when we had 5,206," Whitaker said. "In May, we had 242 surgeries and scopes, slightly under budget of 249, and also fewer than May 2023, when we had 276. Scopes are up but inpatient is down. ER visits for May were 1470 compared to the prior year with 1423. Over the past few months, we've seen emergency visits increase."

Net patient revenue for May was $7.7 million compared to $7.5 in the prior year. Operating expenses for May stood at almost $6.8 million compared to almost $7.3 million last year. The net operating surplus saw an increase of $580,000. Fiscal year-to-date (YTD), which is 11 months, saw net patient revenue of $86.2 million compared to last year at $77.4 million. "That is a $9 million increase, with net operating expenses at $79.2 million, a $5 million increase over last year's $74.5 million. The net operating loss was $2.3 million. However the net surplus was $3.7 million." He said the surplus was more than $6 million, but the employment retention fund took a large amount of that.

Chairman Dr. Fred Fox said Chief of Staff Dr. Colicia Meyerowitz would give her report when she arrived, although usually she prefers to give it in executive session.

Whitaker presented his CEO report. He announced the employee and family picnic on July 13. He also talked about construction projects at the hospital, which include the Labor and Delivery area, which had met with a delay from the New Mexico Department of Health needing to approve the medical gas drawings, as built differently from the original drawings." We are waiting for the approval, and we think it will come around mid-July. The orthopedic front drive was completed, so that people can made a circle to drop off patients." He said some IT work and furniture needed to be completed, with an anticipated opening in mid-July.

Other campus changes would include changes to the three monument signs on 32nd Street. In addition, the signage on the east and west driveways would be changed, as well as the signage for the emergency room and signage for the orthopedic clinic. Additional fencing and landscaping would take place. The courtyard is closed where a lot of parts of the paving have come up because of tree roots. "We are waiting for a contract, but we plan to go with crushed fines to replace the concrete pads. We will put barriers around tripping hazards."

Whitaker noted the hospital had completed the wireless upgrade, which would change access codes. "We will start on the phone system upgrade, which will take about four months, where we will be using a VOIP (voice over internet protocol). After that will come the telemetry project, then the nurse call system, all of them IT intense."

He said they would be changing the way providers take notes on a dictating system, with better recognition of voices and accents on Dragon software, which will happen in September. "We are also updating the website to make it more modern and easier to use. We've been taking pictures of medical staff members, and we would like pictures of you board members, also."

Health Tech regional vice president Scott Manis gave the management company report. "I want to emphasize the strategic planning retreat. Julie (Haynes, Health Tech strategic planning consultant) has already been working with you. She has completed the interviews and collated all that. She literally will come up with 50 plus pages of verbatim comments, which she will sort into themes on things such as things that are going well, things that need to be changed, and others. As Robert noted earlier, we would like this to take place Nov. 15 and 16. We would like to nail down those dates. That way Julie can put it on her calendar as well as your being able to put them on your calendars. Do you have concerns on those dates or the Friday-Saturday set up?"

Vice Chair Betty Vega said if those dates are fine with everyone, it should be contingent on having the results of the Community Needs Assesment in time for "us to review."

Manis also said the prior interim CFO Tim Johnson was no longer at the hospital and Heath Tech reached out to former interim Leonard Binkley, who served as interim at GRMC last fall, to return as interim. "He can start Monday. He's well qualified as a CPA and has served strictly as interim CFO, not only for us, but for other agencies, for 25 years."

Hawkins asked that the issue be discussed in executive session.

After the executive session, members approved the Medical Staff Executive Committee (MEC) provider credentialing report, as well as the policy renewal for the National Practitioner Data Bank and the policy renewal for the professional conduct medical staff and allied health staff.

The board adjourned after coming back into open session.

To view the previous article, please visit https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/grmc-board-of-trustees-met-062624-part-1