Application for new hospital 'in process' at USDA

The Pinckneyville Community Hospital received official confirmation from USDA that their loan application is in process. PCH should hear something by late May or early June.

Hospital Administrator Tom Hudgins said he has asked USDA how to apply for an early start on the project. He is still waiting for information on that, but is gathering additional documentation about construction and architecture in order to have everything in place for USDA and AgStar. New drawings of the facility are in progress. Hudgins will have a projected delivery date by the May meeting.

The certificate of need for the new hospital will expire Oct. 1, 2013. Hudgins said he would like to begin building the new facility in July or August.

The board approved the budget for the fiscal year which begins May 1, 2013 and ends April 30, 2014. The budget projects $300,702 in operating income and $569,649 in non-operating income for a net income of $870,351.

Those figures aren't much different for the projections for this year. However, Hudgins said March looks good and PCH may end this fiscal year ahead of budget projections despite February being a slow month.

The hospital had an operating loss of $96,688 and net loss of $67,492 for February 2013. The year-to-date figures remain in the black with operating income of $446,171 and net income of $745,522. Net income/loss includes revenue from non-operating sources.

In other business, the board:

• heard that the Illinois Provider Trust dividend check for $136,497 was received. About 70 percent of the dividend is due to PCH following the trust's criteria to prevent liability. The premium for 2013 is $155,469.

• asked Hudgins to do another surgical analysis to determine if the hospital can support an additional day of surgery. There is currently a general surgeon in once a week.