Pinckneyville Hospital Raises Basic Room Rates to $574

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ With the closing of the Skilled Care Unit on the hospital's third floor and slightly improved regularity on Medicare payments, the financial statement of condition at Pinckneyville Community Hospital is improving.

Hospital CEO Tom Hudgins said he had hoped the hospital would be completely out of monthly deficit outcomes, but the recent improvement is very positive.

The hospital board was told Monday night Pinckneyville Community Hospital operated in January at a $20,000 net loss. Expenses, however, are dropping from previous months and are moving in the right direction.

The board was also given an update on the community's new physician, Dr. Salvl Bilal, who is scheduled to begin his work August 1. The paperwork on her certification is on track.

The hospital approved a five percent room fee increase. The basic semi-private room rate will increase from $547 to $574 per day. Portions of the hospital's fee schedule will increase modestly, as well.

Other items on the agenda:

The hospital's filing for an Illinois Certificate for Need for a new hospital facility will be delayed for a month, from May to June, due to state regulatory changes. Hudgins said he is working will all of the new hospital's entities to make sure that Pinckneyville's plan adheres to those changes.

Discussed HUD242 program on payments for the new building. A meeting with architects and contractors was held February 19 to discuss construction pricing. Estimates say that the market is good and bids should come in lower because of the softening construction economy. Architects and the project's engineer will be meeting with the board on March 30 to present estimates in greater detail.

Approved a change to the hospital's pension plan.

The hospital has the hardware setup to begin installation of a new voice mail system which would allow patients to call in and listen to the status of laboratory tests. The new system will make lab results more available, yet confidential.

The hospital will be in negotiations with Brady and Associates, a firm out of Kansas City, Mo., to improve personnel productivity benchmarks. . The firm currently represents over 90 critical access hospitals.