BBGH Trustees approve 2015-16 fiscal year budget
The Box Butte General Hospital (BBGH) Board of Trustees met Monday evening and approved the proposed budget for fiscal year 2015-2016, as presented by BBGH Controller Bridget Miller. The board had met previously at a special budget workshop to go into the details of the proposal prior to the regular meeting so that most questions and planning would be addressed prior to the regular meeting.
Ms. Miller said the budget forecasts an increase in net assets of $2,520,138, based on zero growth in patient admissions. “We had an unusually high rate of growth experience during the last fiscal year,” she said. “We don’t want to project too highly.” Revenue is expected to grow 2.6 percent due to rate changes, with volume and inflation accounting for another 2.9 percent in revenue growth. Room rates and ancillary service pricing will be increased 3.3 percent consistent with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) changes for medical services. The CPI rate for hospital services has been approximately five to six percent the past three years. Clinic revenue is expected to increase 13.2 percent.
Operating expenses are expected to increase 12.7 percent when compared to the projected actual expenses for 2014-15. The financial forecast completed for the construction project was also considered when figuring this year’s proposed expenses. Salaries will see a 4.0 percent across the board increase along with 20 additional salary grade changes and 15.4 new positions. There will also be an increase of 7.5 percent in employee benefits, tied to the rise in salaries. Minor equipment requests total $642,284 compared to $211,862 last year, with capital requests projected to be $3,347,953 compared to $856,425 last year. The increases are directly related to the building project.
After a brief discussion, the Trustees unanimously approved the proposed budget.
Other items on the agenda the board addressed included the following.
The Trustees recognized Chief Quality Officer Mary Mockerman for being chosen by her peers at the June Employee of the Month. They also welcomed the following employees: Greater Nebraska Medical & Surgical Services (GNMSS) Nurse Practitioner Abigail (Abby) Vogel; Pharmacy Intern Matthew Pinneo; Fitness Center Attendant Christian Hawley; Medical Scribe Darchelle Woolery; Assistant Cook Dana Stewart; Nurse Aide/Ward Clerk Jessica Rehder; and Kelly Taylor, LPN.
The consent calendar was unanimously approved after a motion was carried to correct the time of the last regular meeting from 7:00pm to 12 noon.
Ms. Mockerman presented her monthly Quality Management and Safety report by focusing on using Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) Lean Training and Mini ProjectEight to identify wastes in healthcare, focusing on the Emergency Department (ED). In the healthcare context, value is defined as the provision of customer/patient service and satisfaction. Any activity which doesn’t contribute to this is considered waste. The four waste areas the team focuses on include defects, waiting, motion and human potential. The metrics used include time to triage; time in waiting room; registration follow-up and accuracy in registration. Trustee Tom Furman expressed his approval that the hospital was focusing on the ED, as waiting times are often a dissatisfier. He offered some suggestions on tracking and recording wait times for metric development. On behalf of BBGH Safety Officer James Koeteman, Ms. Mockerman presented the results of the May 28 Table Top exercise that focused on the scenario of a highly contagious disease (Ebola) outbreak occurring in the Alliance area. The results of the Table Top were evaluated and will be used in a Functional Exercise, which simulates the emergency in the most realistic manner possible. The goal is to test or evaluate the capability of one or more functions in the context of an Ebola event. She also touched on making sure fire stopping (filling) is conducted by vendors. She reported the annual Sentinel Indicator, Inventory and Panhandle Regional Medical Response System (PRMRS) purchases have been submitted to PRMRS. All these are required to be submitted prior to BBGH receiving funds granted from the Department of Health and Human Services.
CEO Dan Griess, FACHE, reported the second floor (which mostly houses the Patient Care Unit) is nearing completion. The first floor is progressing nicely, with the project still on track for completion sometime in October. He reported employees located in the Suite 2107 building have been moved, except for Cardio-Rehabilitation which will be moved in mid-July to Suite 2307. Suite 2107 is slated to be demolished in August so that contractors can start preparation for constructing the ED Ambulance bay. Trustee Linda Schneider inquired to how the last public tour went. Mr. Griess reported it went very well and offered an opportunity for the Trustees to take a final tour in the coming months, arriving earlier than scheduled for a regular meeting. The board expressed their desire to do so.
Health Professions Club (HPC) members Tyler Quick and Emmy Green presented a PowerPoint on a recent trip to Denver by five club members and their sponsors. The club members spent a day visiting the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Children’s Hospital and Craig Hospital. Both thanked the Trustees for sponsoring the HPC and providing support for trips such as the one presented.
Marina Girard, Medical Technologist, and Beth Garcia, GNMSS Medical Assistant, were also on hand to share what they learned when they attended a recent Beryl Patient Experience Conference, knowledge they have already shared with BBGH staff in a Lunch and Learn, as well as with department managers. They were appreciative of the opportunity the hospital gave them and were excited in sharing what they learned to better the patient experience at BBGH.
Trustees John Annen and Ms. Schneider reported on their Western Regional Trustee Symposium held in June. They both said the Symposium provided a wealth of information on the responsibilities of Trustees. Ms. Schneider said she came away with three key points were board members need to be competent, committed and passionate about what they do. Mr. Annen said he not only learned valuable information from the presenters at the Symposium, but in visits with other CEOs and staff from other hospitals. “The information provided went from A to Z,” he said. “One thing I took away from one keynote speaker was that everyone who works at a hospital, from greeters to doctors, should consider themselves professionals … I think we’re blessed here at BBGH with many professionals helping make our hospital as good as it is.”
After all credentialing requests were unanimously approved, the board adjourned at 8:20pm. The next board meeting will be held Monday, July 27 at 7:00pm in the Alliance Room. As always the public is welcome to attend.
Box Butte General Hospital is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
