Doctor turnover concerns confronted

    The East Phillips County Hospital District Board and Melissa Memorial Hospital staff confronted community concerns over doctor turnover at the board’s regular meeting last Tuesday, June 25.
    Board members and medical staff leaders collectively voiced their frustration at being limited on their ability to elaborate on the recent departure of physicians.
    They indicated a tightening of hiring procedure and strengthening lines of communication as ways of addressing turnover concerns.
    Board member Gary Rahe said he sees the board’s failure to be proactive in addressing doctor departures as undermining its credibility.
    “I’ll just tell you that you feel like an idiot,” he said, “because people come, and this is a very emotional issue for them, and all you can do is nod your head and say that you hear them and you feel their pain.”
    “It’s not very satisfying to deal with your friends and neighbors and have to walk away from a conversation and know they’re saying that we as a board have no idea what’s going on.”
    He said the hospital should do a better job vetting candidates to make sure they are capable of integrating into the community. He also suggested boosting outreach through local media, including radio and newspaper.
    Lane Looka, FNP, said that, in his 14 years of experience as a nurse practitioner, he’s recognized a trend of young providers being reluctant to settle down in rural areas.
    “Unfortunately, what you see in rural communities is that you get providers who come for their two or three years, and then once they get their loans paid off and they get enough experience, they’ll leave,” he said. “Speaking for myself, I wish we could share everything to the public, because I think it would clear up a lot, but we just can’t.”
    Most acknowledged that some turnover is unavoidable, and MMH CEO Trampas Hutches said the hospital’s rate is close to the national average.
    “It would be great if we had a crystal ball, but I also know that rural medicine isn’t for everyone,” Jessica Skomp, FNP, said.
    She and all of the medical staff present said they enjoy their work and feel valued at MMH. Hutches also presented the results of a recent employee engagement survey that showed a high rate of job satisfaction.
    “I’ll tell you right now that the medical staff in this room is as good as it gets, and we won’t sacrifice quality or patient safety for anything,” he said.
    Hutches said the hospital is implementing third-party interviewing and additional assessments for medical staff members to help with hiring and retention. He also said leadership structures put in place by an updated set of bylaws will help the hospital identify providers who may be struggling or especially successful.
    “The community has the right to be concerned about the turnover, as are we,” he said.
    The board also discussed the hospital’s policies on the treatment of staff, and Hutches reviewed institutions like the hospital’s new culture committee, satisfaction surveys and the various outlets for employees to voice grievances.
    In his administrator update, Hutches also announced that Shawn Hynes has joined Tim Johnson as a full-time imaging technician. Tina Looka and Mark Werts also joined Holyoke EMS. A new organizational chart was also reviewed.
    
Hospital back in the black for 2019
    MMH’s recent financial statement showed that the hospital generated $437,010 in net income for the month of May, offsetting a $44,733 year-to-date loss for a net gain of $392,277.
    Utilization was mostly down in May, compared with April. Inpatient admissions were 13 compared to 14, and inpatient days were 34 compared to 47. Swing bed admissions were three, down from five, and swing bed days were 26 compared to 34. Emergency department visits also dropped to 101 from 103. Radiology, CT, MRI and ultrasound exams were 324 compared to 275.
    
Wernsman reviews IT department
    MMH’s chief information and compliance officer Jennifer Wernsman presented to the board on the three-person information technology department’s role within the hospital.
    IT manager Gabe Bazan and electronic health records clinical support specialist Fabian Basurto join Wernsman in a department whose work takes place mostly behind the scenes. The three support 175 users on 253 devices, not including peripherals, and 61 applications and are currently working on 40 projects.
    “Pretty much anything that walks in the front door involves IT,” Wernsman said.
    The department handles an average of 220 support tickets per month. Server, network, email and Office 365 administration, information security services, hardware standards and some software licensing are outsourced to Banner Health.
    Wernsman gave a more detailed presentation to members of the hospital’s senior leadership team, and Hutches said he was impressed with the amount and variety of work put in by the department.
    “We know IT hits everything, but you really put it in perspective, and you guys really do a wonderful job,” he said.
    
Other business
    In other business at the June 25 meeting, the board:
    — Held a five-minute executive session for guidance on negotiations concerning the Holyoke Community Childcare Initiative’s proposed child care center, which will be built next to the hospital.
    — Selected board members to serve on various committees. Angie Powell and Rahe will serve on the audit committee, Powell and Mike “Woody” Woodhead on the administrator compensation committee, Rahe and Woodhead on the credentialing committee, and Young and Sheila Gift on the community engagement and quality committees.
    — Approved new bylaws for the medical staff, which include changes to the process of selecting a chief of staff. In the past, the CEO would become chief of staff if the position was vacant, but it could also only be filled by a physician.
    — Approved an updated map and legal description of the EPCHD.
    — Heard an update on the Patient Family Advisory Council, which recently discussed physician turnover, finding a location to perform chemotherapy infusions and a drop in wait times in the radiology department.
    The board also approved the reappointments of Arnold Pfahnl, M.D., and Alan Rytlewski, M.D., in cardiology; Darrel Fenton, D.O., in general surgery; Lyle Barksdale, M.D., and Catherine Pizzi, M.D., in pathology; Michael Shedd, M.D., in pulmonology; Eric Hoyer, M.D., Michael Kellam, M.D., Steven McCormack, M.D., and Daniel Possehn, D.O., in radiology; and Ira Chang, M.D., and Adam Graham, M.D., in teleneurology.
    It also accepted the resignations of Sasikanth Adigopula, M.D., Robert Kahn, M.D., and Ahmad Shihabi, M.D., in radiology.