COVID-19 positive cases as handled by Bradley County Medical Center have increased significantly recently, BCMC board members were told at their monthly meeting Thursday at the Brunson Medical Complex.
Chief Nursing Officer Jamie Wolfe said there were 10 positive cases in May but in June, those cases increased to 27. Two cases were treated as inpatients, 10 outpatients and the rest through the emergency room.
Wolfe also said the Medical Applications for Science in Health (MASH) camp had begun, with seven students from Woodlawn, Hampton, Hermitage and Warren. “They will see every avenue of healthcare that we can show them,” he said.
In other action:
- Controller Matt Pace said the hospital had a positive net income of $55,000 in May. Volumes increased. Accounts receivable increased by over $100,000 for the month. CEO Leslie Huitt said accounts receivable was staying around 60 days but the hospital was seeking to decrease that to 30 days. A total of $125,000 in county sales tax funds was received in May.
- Vice President of Support Services Marilyn Johnson said an American Rescue Plan Act grant was received for Home Health recipients on Medicare. The grant covers retention and recruitment services.
- Huitt said $517,000 would be spent from the sales tax funds for a new CT machine, which should be operational by Monday.
- An interim cost report should have the hospital receiving $200,000 from Medicare in the next month.
- A new security policy was approved by board members and a contract with a security firm will begin July 1. Some procedures will change in regard to screening emergency room patients.
- The process of a community needs assessment will begin soon. The assessment is required every three years.
- Johnson said a cybersecurity agency met with hospital officials and will start an assessment in July.
- Administrative policy changes were approved by a board motion.
- A resolution to accept a USDA grant was approved.
- Property insurance was renewed with Alliant Property Insurance Program. Huitt noted that the policy total had more than doubled since 2020 and it had gone up $4,000 in the past year.
- A motion was approved to apply for a Delta Regional Authority grant program. The first year of the grant will do an assessment of the hospital’s programs and find areas that need improvement. The second year will provide funding to make those improvements and the third year will provide funding to maintain the improvements.