Bradley County Medical Center recorded a $660,000 loss in revenue in April, Controller Matt Pace told board members on Tuesday in the board of directors’ monthly meeting at the Brunson Medical Complex.
He said acute patient days dropped last month. Accounts receivable showed a $1.2 million decrease since January. Cost report settlements gave the hospital $800,000 from Medicaid and another $300,000 will be received from Medicare.
Interim CEO Leslie Huitt noted that although revenue was down in April, it did pick up in May.
She said the hospital will have to provide $661,580 in matching funds for a USDA grant. The hospital provides 65 percent of the grant funding and the federal government will provide 35 percent, for a total of over $1 million.
The grant will include 23 hospital beds, upgrade a nurse call station, provide an electronic server to connect with a radiologist, an anesthesia machine and a microbiology system. The hospital’s portion of the funding will come from sales tax monies.
A motion was approved to pay $25,900 for a mobile CT scanner which will be used until the new CT scanner can be put in place.
Huitt said another SHIP grant of $11,000-$12,000 was also received.
On a possible Delta Regional Authority grant, Huitt said a June 1 meeting is scheduled.
Vice President of Support Services Marilyn Johnson said the hospital building had been power washed and new awnings were installed, plus some landscaping was done.
She said condenser pump estimates were being sought. One of the chiller machines is being examined to determine how it could be made more efficient. Johnson some hospital supply chain issues are being experienced. A security contract is under review for changes before being implemented.
Chief Nursing Officer Jamie Wolfe said the hospital treated three positive COVID-19 cases and 18 flu cases in April. He said an increase in COVID cases is expected throughout the state in the next few months.
He attended a stroke conference in Little Rock. Senior Care cases have increased and some problems have been experienced in getting patients transferred back out after care was completed.
Wolfe said he is working on restarting the DAISY Awards. One patient control nurse qualified for a grant and will attend training in Orlando, Fla.
Motions were approved for changes in policies regarding visitation, COVID-19, mass casualty/fatality plan, standardization of terminating items in the CPSI Chargemaster, registration requirements, Medicare eligibility response interpretation, administrative manual and compliance manual.
Dr. Kristen Dent attended the meeting as an observer.