Madison Medical Center Board of Trustees Meeting March 16, 2011
The Madison Medical Center Board of Trustees met at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 16, 2011, for their regular monthly meeting. The following board members were present: Bob Schwent, Kent Marler, and Ruth Ann Skaggs. Board members absent: Larry Hunt and Denny Ward. MMC staff present: Lisa Twidwell, Administrator/CEO; Jennifer Penuel, COO; Allan Sucharski, CFO; Kristen Starkey, Nursing Home DON; Carol Hyatt, Physician Office Manager; Joe Barnhouse, Purchasing Director; Danny Kemp, Director of Maintenance; Linda Rhodes, RPh; Maureen Medley, Administrative Assistant.
This month’s department spotlight was on the Pharmacy Department. Linda Rhodes, RPh, has been the pharmacist at MMC for over 15 years. She dispenses medications to the hospital and fills employee prescriptions. Medication needs in the nursing home are taken care of by Quality Care.
There were 439 patients seen in the E.R. during February. There were 31 surgery cases and 4 air transports from the hospital. PALS classes will be held on March 30th and 31st. The SEMO Nursing League will have their annual meeting at MMC on March 25th. Two employees are scheduled to attend an Intruder Response training session in Cape Girardeau later this month.
During the month of February there were 8 new admissions to the nursing home, 6 re-admissions, 7 discharges and 4 deaths. State surveyors are expected at any time for the nursing home’s annual survey. Nursing home employees have been participating in skills testing for the past two weeks. Prizes, including two quilts made by Lori Griffin, were awarded to those who scored the highest. A group of approximately eight employees will tour Jackson Manor in Jackson on March 25th to observe how that facility has implemented cultural change.
There were 245 Home Health visits and 1,863 in-home service units provided during February.
There were 1,101 Rural Health Clinic visits and 185 Outpatient Clinic visits during February. Dr. Robert Daugherty, a podiatrist from Cape Girardeau, will begin seeing patients in the Outpatient Clinic within the next few weeks. Several other doctors, including a pulmonolgist and an OB/GYN are interested in the possibility of seeing patients at MMC through the Outpatient Clinic.
The Stockhoff Yard Sale Fundraiser will be held on Friday, April 8th and Saturday, April 9th at the Armory. The week of June 13 – 17 will be MMC’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Week. MMC’s “Walking Program,” which is supervised by Kathy Hamblin and Lisa Inman, is held at the Armory every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from October through May. Cindy Dulaney, Acute Care DON, is a volunteer at the Domestic Violence Shelter. MMC employees continue to help deliver meals at the Senior Center every Wednesday. Carol Hyatt, Jennifer Penuel, Kristen Starkey, and Allan Sucharski attend the Kiwanis Club luncheon meetings every Tuesday.
Plans for refurbishing the E.R. (floors and walls) are progressing. Employees and board members were asked to vote for their first and second choices out of five possible color schemes. The results of the voting will be announced soon. The project is scheduled to begin in May.
MMC is working with the Madison County Health Department and other organizations in the area on plans for a community-wide disaster drill which will probably take place in May.
MMC Board members will be working during the coming months on a fund-raising campaign for the renovation of rooms in the nursing home. The cost of remodeling each room is $5,000.
Stockhoff Memorial Nursing Home received a reward last month from Primaris for the work that has been done over the past two years to improve the quality of patient care.
Lisa Twidwell reported that the Madison County Commissioners have written a letter of support for Madison Medical Center’s proposal to change its tax support from the current property tax to a sales tax. Support is also being requested from the City of Fredericktown.
The Board gave its approval for MMC to apply for a grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health which, if received, could provide funding for several community projects, including a walking trail, aimed at improving the health of the area’s residents. The Rotary Club is leading the walking trail project.
As of April 30, 2011, MMC will no longer contract with Molina Healthcare of Missouri for Medicaid coverage for children. Patients who are now enrolled with Molina can switch to Harmony if they want to, as this is another company that the hospital contracts with which provides Medicaid coverage.
The Board voted to approve a job description for members of the Board of Trustees, which outlines their duties and responsibilities.
The Board approved an increase in the hospital’s line of credit from $250,000 to $500,000.
MMC employees will now have to be employed full time for five years instead of two years in order to qualify for the extended short term disability benefit.
The Board approved a bid from CAW (Coatings, Applications, and Waterproofing), a St. Louis company, for a new roof over the boiler and laundry room area of the hospital, which was damaged during the May 2009 storm. A bid from Huffman Roofing was also approved for a new roof over the East Wing.
The Board approved consulting staff privileges in Diagnostic Radiology for Kevin M. McDonnell, M.D., through Virtual Radiologic Consultants. Consulting staff privileges in Diagnostic Radiology were also approved for 30 physicians from the Cape Radiology Group. Active staff privileges in Family Practice were approved for Michael D. Robbins, M.D.
The Board reviewed a letter from Mr. Donald Ward, recognizing MMC’s E.R. and Cardiac Rehab Department for the care he received in January.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held on Wednesday, April 13, 2011, at 9:00 a.m. in the Dr. Slaughter Memorial Building.
