The Yuma District Hospital Board of Directors is back to being whole again.
Liz Hickman took the oath of office and was sworn in during last week’s regular meeting. The board unanimously approved her appointment.
Hickman fills the opening created by Dee Ann Sewell’s resignation last month. The other board members are Monica King, Mitch Korf, Delaina Klein, and Mark Werts, who was appointed last month to fill the vacancy created by Robert Dorothy’s resignation earlier this year.
The board discussed the preliminary budget for 2025, which will be up for approval during the board’s December 18 meeting.
Board members were informed the budget includes a 3-percent charge increase, which will help offset salary adjustments for staff. CEO Anne Kreutzer clarified that staff will not receive the same increase, if any at all. She said a salary survey is being conducted to determine what positions are underpaid and which are not. There was a lot of discussion about the various factors that figure into potential salary increases.
Kreutzer visited with the board about the district having a goal to increase visits in 2025 to 14,000, adding that it will be a challenge but one worth trying to attain.
There also was a lot of discussion about the district’s current effort changing to a new collections company in order to improve the revenue cycle. Kreutzer said it is taking a lot of work and is not a quick fix.
She reiterated that two major goals in 2025 is cleaning up the revenue cycle and getting more patients in the door.
Board member Korf noted the preliminary budget is showing $28 million in operating expense and $27 million in revenue. He said that means the property tax revenue is a key in the district meeting the operating expense. There was discussion about whether or not to have a special meeting to certify the mill levy, instead of approving it last week as the numbers will not change significantly after the county certifies the final assessed valuations for 2025. It was decided to have a special meeting on December 5 at 12 noon to certify the mill levy.
Financial Officer Rick Korf reported that the district had a $262,000 loss in October, but still is showing a $912,000 profit for 2024. He said November is holding its own and likely will at least break even. Kreutzer noted that some expenses for surgeries occurred in October, but the revenue would have been in November, so there was that disconnect. She also reported that about $100,000 in billing got caught up in a spam filter and was not discovered for awhile..
As for the $2 million in investment funds the board approved to free up to meet expenses in 2024 if necessary, only $450,000 has been used.
The board approved the purchase of shoulder positioning equipment. The board members were informed a surgeon has joined the specialty clinic staff with a focus on shoulder surgeries, as well as being able to perform other procedures such as ACL repairs. The board was told that shoulder surgeries likely will be in high demand. Board member Korf said it is another service the hospital district can provide to the community, and he hopes people will become aware of it and take advantage of the service.
Two agenda items — a record retention policy and a consumer survey — were tabled to the next meeting.
Kreutzer shared staffing changes taking place at the Akron Clinic, as well as staffing additions to the Yuma facility. The clinic hours on Monday through Friday will go to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting in January.
The CEO, noting that misery loves company, reported that 70 percent of Colorado hospitals do not have operating margins that are sustainable, and that the average increase in operating expenses in 2024 is 7 percent while the YDHC’s increase was slightly above 1 percent. She acknowledged it is not great news for hospitals, but it shows Yuma is in the same boat as many, if not actually in better shape.