Hosptials see increase in patients

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Like all hospitals in northeast Arkansas, the Mississippi County Hospital System has been adjusting for overflow patients due to Covid-19.

Monday afternoon, CEO Chris Raymer told the hospital board that beds fill up, and they’ve been holding overflow patients in the women’s center.

“We’ve had the highest ER volume here since well before Covid,” Raymer said

In August, MCHS had 2,058 emergency visits, an increase of 23.5 percent from August 2020. Patient days and average daily census were both up 63.4 percent compared to the previous August. Admissions were up by 27.1 percent last month.

Raymer said other CEOs in northeast Arkansas and across the state are experiencing the same increases in patients.

Meanwhile, CFO Randy Nichols reported the total cash balance in August was $19,218,167.

“We are in the process of gathering information to justify keeping the HHS Stimulus funds due to expenditures for Covid-19 expenses and the revenue losses that we absorbed between January 2020 and June 20, 2021,” Nichols said. “The reporting date is September 30, 2021, but may be extended to November 30, 2021 without penalty. The excess funds are to be returned by December 31, 2021 with interest earned on the funds.”

MCHS will try to keep Covid relief money by suggesting the federal government consider its loss of outpatient revenue. Any funds not approved will have to returned; it will be based on 2019 versus 2020 loss of net revenue.

“It’s kind of unfair, because for us we had started our in patient program,” Nichols said. “We had started doing better in that way. Our big losses were in the outpatient and ER, which went to nothing for about three months and then it struggled for the rest of the year.”

Nichols said there is another Arkansas CARES distribution, and Great River Medical Center received $1,138,500, while SMC received $225,000 during August.

In other news, Lisa Smith reported the hospital has provided 188 vaccines to the public and 176 to employees thus far. Vaccines are available every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at GRMC, and Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at SMC.

Felicia Pierce, CNO, reported the cancer center celebrated its one year anniversary. There have been 2,969 patient visits, 1,794 treatments and 208 new patient consults.

Meanwhile, the board approved the purchases of anesthesia equipment and a fax system update.

Raymer reported MCHS provided 115 physicals to Blytheville School District, 181 to Gosnell, 71 to Osceola, and 77 to Armorel. He said the children were well-behaved and respectful.

Raymer introduced new nurse practitioner, Josh Hodges, APRN.

He said MCHS is changing pharmacy management from Comprehensive Pharmacy Services to St. Bernards, which will save about $60,000 per year.