NRMC's finances continue to improve

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Nevada Regional Medical Center directors learned Tuesday night that the hospital, hampered by declining numbers of out-patients during most of the past fiscal year, in June recorded its fourth straight month of profits.

Chief Financial Officer Cindy Buck said the month ended with $79,828 in net income, although there was a $1,103,537 net loss for the year that ended June 30.

Buck said expenses were $324,477 under budget, softening a 96-patient shortfall in the projected number of total patients' days, 782.

In other business, Chief Executive Officer Judy Feuquay said a new pediatrician, Dr. Ryan Harrison, has arrived from Junction City, Kan., to open a practice just as longtime pediatrician Dr. Ron Jones is retiring.

Feuquay said a new information technology director, Troy Mascher of Joplin, has been hired along with infection prevention nurse Morgan Soppe of Seneca. Board members Steve Russ and Wayne Prewitt were absent.

Feuquay said Dr. Joseph Dodd recently performed three successful VNUS Closure Procedures, or minimally invasive varicose vein treatments, and has three more patients in consultation.

"Unfortunately, general surgery recruitment will continue as we haven't been successful in obtaining paperwork for both state licensure and NRMC medical staff credentialing for our current candidate," she said.

"We therefore reactivated the search and identified another general surgeon who is interested in coming to Nevada. We anticipate that he will visit this week."

Consultant Craig Sims of Brentwood, Tenn., regional vice president of Quorum Health Resources, said the Internal Revenue Service will require community obesity assessments in 2012-13 while Medicare institutes a new DRG (diagnosis-related group) payment system year after next.

"There are more states with over 30 percent of people who are obese," reported Sims. "There is a series of questions the IRS will be asking and documenting. The new DRG codes will impact revenues if not done correctly."

Long-term Care Director Denise Sloniker said Moore-Few and Barone Alzheimer's Care Center had the unusual experience of operating $17,604 in the red last month. "June was a hard month because our average daily census and Medicare days were down, but we still had $303,097 in net income for the year," Sloniker said.

She added that Moore-Few is interviewing for a business office manager, "looking for someone with experience in long-term care accounting and billing."

The board accepted a technology committee report that construction is finished on the new geriatric psychiatric unit, shower renovations are planned in the Alzheimer's center and bids are being sought for a new floor in obstetrics, where a security system under an attorney's review.

Budgeted for $37,000, a $36,500 contract to audit Medicare and Medicaid costs was approved with BKD CPAs & Advisors of Springfield.