MMH rated No. 3

    “We have a good team here,” said CEO Trampas Hutches when he reported that MMH had been awarded third-best critical access hospital in the state by Colorado Rural Health Center at the East Phillips County Hospital District board meeting Tuesday, Oct. 24.
    In addition to the award, CRHC announced that MMH is rated in the top 1 percent in the nation in Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, also known as patient satisfaction and improving communications and readmissions program, said Hutches.
    CRHC ranks the 31 critical access hospitals in Colorado on quality performance using inpatient, outpatient, HCAHPS, emergency department transfer communication data, and readmission rate reporting and performance.
    MMH Quality Improvement Coordinator Jennifer Cano said the main change the hospital has adopted to help increase patient satisfaction and communication is to ensure a call within 72 hours to every patient discharged to review all medications, follow-up appointments, questions and concerns.
    Cano pointed out that not only do they want to make sure the patient is doing well after going home, they also want to help connect them with resources beneficial to overall well-being, including home health care, mental health and social support, pharmacy delivery, as well as access to food and transportation.
    “As we strive to care for our patients, it is important to look at the whole person and understand that their medical issues may only be a small part of the problem,” Cano added.
    
CEO shares status updates with board
    “Athena is still taking up a lot of our time,” said Hutches. Five weeks into the new electronic records management system, MMH staff continues to work through the intricacies of the program, he added.
    The Go Live committee is working through a list of problem areas. It’s finding that 90 percent of problems are workflow and training issues while the other 10 percent are system functions, he said.
    MMH will convert to Kronos payroll system in December, changing from semimonthly to biweekly pay periods. CFO Wes White will test the new system parallel to the existing payroll program during the first two weeks of December. The Kronos conversion will begin Dec. 17, and the first paycheck from the new system will be during the first week in January.
    Dr. Daniella DeVargas-Boyer, a third-year resident, accepted a position with MMH beginning July 31, 2018. “We are excited to have her,” said Hutches. MMH recently interviewed another physician. Management went above and beyond to recruit him and is looking forward to hearing from him, said Hutches.
    The Oct. 21 health fair was a success, drawing 150-175 participants, which is slightly down from last year’s attendance of 190, said Hutches.
    In the update for the Holyoke Community Child Care Initiative Committee, Hutches reported that it is waiting on the project scope from CU students who are developing the facility design.
    
Specialty clinics keep busy
    Specialty clinics at MMH consist of 14 providers in 12 different clinics, manager Mary Kay Knode reported to the board. The clinics include audiology, cardiovascular, coumadin, dentistry, dietetics, general surgery, OB/GYN, oncology, orthopedics, podiatry, pulmonology and urology.
    Specialty clinic staff administers scheduling for seven of the providers. Staff coordinates all schedules and keeps track of the number of visits to each clinic, said Knode. In addition, staff coordinates sleep studies and ESI steroid injections prescribed by providers and maintains all scheduling for outpatient surgeries, colonoscopies and EGD tests, she noted.
    Holyoke Family Eyecare opened in May, providing optometry and optical services. Insurance submissions and payments have been the clinic’s biggest challenge, reported Knode. The eye clinic plans to increase public awareness through advertising to help increase the number of visits, she added.
    Specialty clinics have developed total comprehensive care for diabetics, which includes high-needs services such as nutrition, podiatry, optometry and wound care. Wound care has always been an outpatient service; however, it was brought in to the specialty clinic in July to help organize and manage as part of the coordinated care for diabetics, said Knode.
    
Mission statement needs work
    The board reviewed the global ends statement/mission policy. Hutches suggested the need for a new mission statement. “It limits what we do; it’s not our future and what health care will become,” said Hutches. “It is reflective of what we do, but it needs work,” agreed board member Steve Young.
    Hutches suggested putting together an interdimensional committee to work on the mission statement. The board agreed. Hutches and board member Angie Powell, along with an MMH manager, a front-line staff member and a community member will represent the committee to develop a new mission statement.
    
CFO shares financial information
    White reported that he has met with all department managers in preparation of the budget and he is currently crunching the numbers. He will present the 2018 budget at the Nov. 28 board meeting.
    Banner Health contracted to pay MMH for space and reception services in the Specialty Clinic when its employed physicians see patients at MMH. The fair market value for the space and reception services is $1,450 per month, reported White.
    The employee learning process utilizing Athena and the creation of new workflows has slowed the billing process this month. On-site billing training using patient data generated during the first month under the new system was scheduled for Oct. 26-27.
    MMHF reports
    Young, who represents the board on the MMH Foundation board, reported that the theme for the Legacy Event will be released Nov. 8.
    The foundation has discussed how the funds from the upcoming Legacy Event will be designated but hasn’t nailed it down yet, he said.
    There are two openings on the MMHF board. Young said that his term on MMHF will end in December and he will no longer be serving on the foundation board.
    
Other business
    In other business at the Oct. 24 meeting, the board:
    —Approved three reappointments, including Jeffrey Wagner, M.D., in teleneurology, Robert Kahn, M.D., in radiology and Sasikanth Adigopula, M.D., in cardiology; one new appointment, Kajsa Harris, M.D., in family medicine; and one resignation, Ranie Pendarvis, M.D., in radiology.
    —Held a 50-minute executive session for advice from the attorney, personnel and negotiations.