Hutches: Hospital controlled majority of local market in 2018
Whether coming by car, ambulance or helicopter, more of northeast Colorado is relying on Melissa Memorial Hospital, which in 2018 became the dominant hospital in its local market, CEO Trampas Hutches said at the East Phillips County Hospital District Board’s Jan. 22 meeting.
Today, MMH controls 70 percent of its inpatient primary market, up 34 percent from 2017. The figure was computed using Colorado Hospital Association discharge data for residents of the 80734 and 80721 ZIP codes.
“[Thirty-six percent] to 70 percent is a huge jump,” he said. “We now have the majority of our patients and more from other areas also.”
The hospital also controls 54 percent of the inpatient market in Phillips County and 30 percent in the tricounty area including Yuma and Sedgwick counties, which was the highest of any of the hospitals considered.
Based on a Thomson Reuters study, Family Practice of Holyoke had a market share greater than 100 percent.
“We had the best year, as far as I could find,” Hutches said. “It was significantly higher than what it has been.”
The number of visits from Hispanic and Latino patients also rose from approximately 600 to 1,100 in 2018. Hutches later attributed this to the implementation of a live four-person translator team, a clinic expansion and a $500,000 grant from the Colorado Health Foundation to increase access for the population.
Other areas that saw significant bumps in market share and utilization included pharmacy, orthopedics, ophthalmology and oncology.
Hutches also reviewed the results of patient satisfaction surveys. Across the entire hospital, 80 percent of patients said they would be willing to recommend MMH, and the hospital was given a 74 percent rating overall. The ER received the same ratings.
Family Practice received the highest overall rating of any department, about 85 percent, and 77 percent of patients said they would be willing to recommend the clinic. Hutches mentioned as a particular point of pride that 100 percent of patients gave the practice a top-box rating in December.
Outpatient surveys showed an overall rating and willingness to recommend slightly over 70 percent.
Other figures presented by Hutches indicated an increase in employee engagement and a continued drop in voluntary turnover.
Board members Angela Powell and Sheila Gift both praised Hutches for the across-the-board improvements in hospital performance in 2018.
“I just think your whole team needs to hear that we appreciate so much where you’ve brought us over the last three years,” Powell said. “That’s a direct correlation with your leadership and your team.”
Former NASCAR nurse to train staff on racetrack trauma
University of Colorado Hospital Director of Trauma Services Robbie Dumond, BSN, RN, TCRN, AEMT, will be training MMH staff Saturday, April 6, regarding the treatment of trauma sustained during auto racing.
Dumond formerly worked as a head nurse for NASCAR and a trauma coordinator in Lincoln, Nebraska.
MMH nurse and organizer Marissa Bussell, RN, said the trainings led by Dumond will be geared toward local emergency medical personnel as well as firefighters who could be called to respond to crashes at Phillips County Raceway. In addition to medical care, attendees will learn about the structure of stock cars and methods of extracting drivers.
“It’s just a matter of re-upping our training so we know what to do in these bad situations,” Bussell said.
Hospital rebounds in December
After a slow November, MMH CFO Wes White told the board that the hospital saw an uptick in business in December, bringing in a net income of $442,829.
Total gross patient revenues were over budget by 19 percent, deductions were over budget 47 percent and expenses were under budget 16 percent. Year-to-date net income totaled $819,975.
Utilization also exceeded November figures. December saw 49 inpatient days compared to 34 in October and 105 emergency department visits compared to 86.
Other business
In other business at the Jan. 22 meeting, the board heard an update from Hutches on the MMH Foundation, which had sold 43 tables of an available 45 for its Feb. 9 legacy event and admitted Harry Kinner to its board.
Additionally, the board accepted four new appointments in radiology, including Kathryn Cambron, M.D., Timothy Conner, M.D., Jason Grennan, M.D., and Stanley Smith, M.D.
Provisional ends/regular appointments were granted to Nathaniel Chappelle, M.D., in family medicine; Daniel Possehn, D.O., and Ananthakrishna Chilukuri, M.D., in radiology; and Yaima Alonso-Jeckell, M.D., and Michelle DeNault, M.D., in telepsychiatry.
There were also three resignations, including Tim Meyer, O.D., in optometry and Barbara Blankenship, M.D., and Farhad Keliddari, M.D., in radiology.