Anne Kreutzer gave a quick overview of her vision for the Yuma District Hospital & Clinics, during the board’s regular monthly meeting on May 22.
It was Kreutzer’s first board meeting after assuming the role of CEO on May 1. Board members Monica King, Delaina Klein, Mitchell Korf and Robert Dorothy were in attendance. De Ann Sewell was absent.
Kreutzer gave her update at the end of the meeting. She said revenue generation is a priority, with the focus being on outpatient services. She said increased outpatient services could lead to more in-patient services. She has been in contact with sources to bring a general surgeon to Yuma.
The new CEO is studying the facility’s family practice situation, trying to determine if there are too many or not enough. She talked about cleaning up the district’s website, advertising more, and wanting the doctors to be front and center.
She said she would like to start hosting an open house with the community.
Facility upgrade
District leaders have had extensive conversations with Schneider Electric regarding a multitude of potential facility upgrades. Schneider is one of 14 companies working through the Colorado Energy Office. The idea is for entities such as YDHC get necessary upgrades, such as new rooftop units, utilizing costs to help cover the grants. Plus, the work is supposed to result in significant energy cost savings.
The next step would be for Schneider to do a comprehensive energy audit
The board decided earlier to put it on hold until Kreutzer was on board. She dug right into it after taking over. She told the board that Schneider representatives provided her with a secondary pitch, which helped her better understand the big picture.
She then contacted the Colorado Energy Office, which also gave a presentation. They explained that Schneider and the other contractors are vetted by the state. Any fees moving forward also are vetted by the state, as well as vet the energy audit.
“They’re kind of looking out for us,” she said of the Colorado Energy Office.
She noted the hospital district might not be able to cherry pick what it wants to have done because the program is based on the overall energy savings.
The audit will cost $25,000 to $30,000, but that cost would be rolled into the overall program if the hospital district moved forward with Schneider, which also will aggressively look for grants.
Kreutzer recommended the district have Schneider do the energy audit. The board approved a motion on a 4-0 vote.
More updates
The board was given an update regarding the purchase of a new MRI. The district’s cost is $860,000 with a grant providing another $860,000. Kreutzer noted the MRI is a good revenue source. The district will have to decide in coming months how it is going to pay its share, perhaps through a loan.
The board was told it could take two months to install the new MRI. The hospital likely will utilize a mobile MRI during that time.
Former interim CEO Ted Beckman, who has returned to his previous role with YDHC, told the board steady progress is being made in getting the lab back up to full speed.
He stressed the lab is open for business, and is sending out samples like usual, though the number of labs sent out has increased. Beckman said a consulting firm recently visited, helping with protocols and procedures, quality control with the machines, helping with lab efficiency testing, rewriting plans of action and more.
Beckman also stressed the lab never was out of compliance, and the lab can process all samples of all tests. Drug testing always has been available.
Audit and financial report
Jessica Roerick of Eide Bailey remotely provided the 2023 audit report. She went over several sections of the audit with the board.
The district did see a $1.8 million decrease in total assets.
Operational revenue decreased by about 1 percent. Overall volumes decreased about 4 percent, with in-patient, acute care and swing bed activity playing a big part. Total operating expenses increased by about 4.1 percent, or $973,000. Wages increased. Roerick noted that like with many medical facilities, it has been difficult to recruit and retain employees since the pandemic, resulting in having to spend more on contract workers.
Overall, the operating loss was $2.661 million.
The board unanimously accepted the audit report.
The financial report was given following the audit report. Financial Officer Rick Korf said the facility is working at an operating loss, but it is much better than at the same point last year. The deficit was $1.4 million through April of 2023, while it was $321,000 through April 2024. The district had budgeted for a $375,000 deficit, so it is better than budgeted projections. Kreutzer said the situation is looking better but it has to be sustained over several months for it to be a trend.
Of the $2 million of investment funds the board voted at the start of the year to make available to meet operating costs, $450,000 of it has been used to date.
The board unanimously accepted the financial report.
More meeting
The board approved medical appointments re-appointments as presented.
New appointments were for Suzanne Masias, CRNA, Nurse Anesthetist; Kaitlin Ford, MD, Radiology; David Pierce, MD, Radiology; Audrey Magnowski, MD, Radiology, and; Matthew LaFleur, MD, Radiology.
Reappointments were for Chad Christensen, DO, Radiology; Nicholas Constantine, MD, Radiology.
The board also approved a resolution amending the district’s banking accounts to include Kreutzer.
The board’s next regular meeting will be June 26.