PROMO Government - Medical Weisbrod Memorial Hospital Eads Colorado - Chris Sorensen

Kiowa County Hospital District Board meeting minutes - February 28, 2023

Weisbrod Memorial Hospital in Eads, Colorado. © KiowaCountyPress.net / Chris Sorensen

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

BOARD MEETING

February 28, 2023

The Kiowa County Hospital District Board met in regular session on February 28, 2023, at 6:33 p.m. at the Cobblestone Inn Meeting Room.

District Board members present were Pam Cole, Mary Eikner, Doug Uhland, Karl Eikenberg, and Matt Prince via Zoom.

Others present: Shannon Dixon, Shaelynn Rouse, Cindy McLoud, Beth Bell, Rachel Bletzacker, Renay Crain, and Beth Spady.

CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order by Matt Prince, Chairman of the Board at 6:33 pm.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

A motion was made by Pam Cole to approve the January 24, 2023 minutes as presented. Motion seconded by Doug Uhland. All aye.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

A motion was made by Mary Eikner to approve the agenda as presented. The motion was seconded by Karl Eikenberg. All aye.

PUBLIC COMMENT

There was no public comment.

CREDENTIALING

There were no credentialing files to review this month.

POLICIES & PROCEDURES

The Board received a summary reflecting which department policies would be reviewed each month and their status.

STANDING REPORTS

CEO

The Board received several updates related to providers. Abby Huff, PA will be leaving KCHD to pursue a fellowship in women’s health. Abby’s last day will be April 16, 2023. Caitlin Philpy, NP will be joining KCHD around the first of May 2023. Caitlin will see patients on Mondays. Dr. Glen Cranford will be at KCHD for a few days each month starting around June of 2023.

The Eastern Plains Healthcare Consortium (EPHC) CEO group met earlier this month to discuss ways to support each other and review pending legislation. One bill regarding facility fees is being watched closely by EPHC and the Colorado Hospital Association (CHA).

The Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) conference will be held next month.

KCHD continues to recruit for a Chief Nursing Officer (CNO). Staff will conduct interviews in the next few weeks and will determine which candidates will progress to the next phase which will include presenting to staff.

The clinic hours will be changed to 7:30 am – 5:00 pm on Monday through Friday. Saturday hours will remain 9 am – 1 pm. These changes will be effective April 1, 2023.

KCHD staff continue to look at different options for our electronic medical records software. Cerner will be providing staff with a demonstration of their software this week.

The Board and Leadership will begin to focus on a strategic plan for operations as well as facility planning options. The Board will look at dates for a special meeting to tour the facility as well as the new duplex.

KCHD is working on a proposal for the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) request. The proposal will be for approximately 2 million dollars and will be completed in phases as the project must be completed within one year.

CFO

The Board received a written report from the CFO.

The January financials were reviewed and showed a loss for the month. In January, days cash on hand was 274 and days in AR was 79.

KCHD would like to purchase an additional Hoyer lift to safely assist staff with transfers. A motion was made by Pam Cole to purchase a Hoyer lift for $5,400. Motion was seconded by Doug Uhland. All aye.

CNO

An ACLS class is being offered in both February and March for KCHD staff in partnership with UC Health. In addition to the ACLS class, an advanced airway course will be offered in March.

KCHD plans to offer another CNA class in May or June of 2023 to help with staffing.

Staff are working on a quality project that focuses on the Emergency Department in efforts to reduce overutilization of services and resources.

HOSPITAL QUALITY, SAFETY, & COMPLIANCE

KCHD is working on a community health needs assessment. The community is being asked to complete a survey to help guide this project. KCHD is partnering with Vertical Strategies and will host several community meetings. The first meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 20, from 5 pm to 7 pm at the Cobblestone Inn in Eads.

KCHD is planning an emergency operations full scale exercise for June of 2023.

The Quality Report Scorecard was reviewed. Various measures including infection rate, medication errors, and falls were reviewed by the Board.

CLINIC

The Chronic Care Management (CCM) program continues to grow and provide resources and support for patients.

Clinic Medical Assistant’s (MAs) are researching options for certification through National Healthcare Association (NHA).

OLD BUSINESS

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

The walk through went well. The only outstanding items were screens for the windows which should be received soon, and the planting of grass seed which will happen in a few weeks. The closing is scheduled for March 1, 2023. KCHD will request bids for the installation of a privacy fence on the north side of the property.

ELECTION

The upcoming election will be cancelled. KCHD was seeking three directors and received three self-nomination forms. Pam Cole, Mary Eikner, and Dough Uhland will be elected by acclamation to serve four year terms.

NEW BUSINESS

ANNUAL EVALUATION

The Board received and reviewed the annual evaluation of KCHD. After discussion, Pam Cole made a motion to accept the evaluation as presented. Mary Eikner seconded the motion. All aye.

QUALITY ASSURANCE PLAN IMPROVEMENT (QAPI)

The QAPI plan is being reviewed and revised by KCHD staff and will be presented to the Board for final approval in the next few months.

BOARD BYLAWS

A copy of the Board Bylaws was provided to each director so that everyone can review and provide input on possible updates. One potential change involves increasing the capital approval limit from $5,000 to $10,000. The Board requested data on the number of purchases that required Board approval.

HOSPITAL ALLEY

There was discussion about the alley behind the hospital. It was decided that the Board would complete their walk through and then discuss next steps.