Pinckneyville Hospital Board looks to new facility when making equipment

Pinckneyville Hospital had an operating loss of $173,744 and a net loss of $145,767 for May.

Hospital Administrator Tom Hudgins said that May is typically a slow month. In addition, back-to-back payments were made to the company which staffs the emergency room because they are paid a month in advance.

Chief Nurse Executive Eva Hopp said in her report that the new ER group is seeing 75 to 100 more patients a month than the previous ER group.

The asked Hudgins to solicit more bids for a new mower which will be used at the current site then moved to the new facility. The current mower is having problems and was to be replaced in March of 2015.

Hudgins was authorized to purchase headwall units for the new facility provided the new bid which is to include additional outlets and relocated switches does not exceed the original bid of $16,095 by more than $3,000.

The purchase of a nurse call system for $100,453 for the new facility was also approved.

In other business, the board;

• heard from Ray and Jane Cheek that construction of the new hospital has caused drainage problems at their house which sits on the corner of White Walnut and Route 154, directly south of the new facility. Hudgins said that he has discussed the problem with an engineer and a solution will be proposed at the Owner-Architect-Contractor meeting at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

• heard from Hudgins that a cost comparison for a six-month period between Egyptian Electric and Ameren shows service from Egyptian for the exact same period would cost 39 percent more. The hospital can attempt to negotiate a contract with Egyptian, but has no recourse for finding a new electricity provider without legislative action.

• approved a one-year contract with Dr. Salva Bilal which will expire July 31, 2015 and a five-year contract with Dr. Andy Forbes which begins July 1, 2015 and ends June 30, 2020.