Bids to be opened Aug.13 on hospital in Pinckneyville
Pinckneyville Community Hospital has done everything they can to be ready should USDA offer a letter of commitment to build a new hospital.
Administrator Tom Hudgins said he has not heard from USDA for the past two weeks.
The preliminary bond documents from AgStar are under review by the hospital's attorneys.
Signed copies of the drawings for the new building which offered clarifications and/or updates for the Illinois Department of Public Health were delivered. The IDPH review is complete.
Robbins Morton, the construction manager, continues to move forward on the project. Bids will be opened at 2 p.m. on Aug. 13 in the hospital conference room. Shortly after that, Robbins Morton should be able to give the hospital a guaranteed maximum price for the new facility.
Once a letter of commitment is received, PCH can begin work on the new hospital, using cash reserves to pay for the first three or four months of work. It will take approximately 90 days to get the bond paperwork completed.
In other business, the board:
• heard a positive financial report for June. The operating income for the month was $144,149 and the net income was $291,585. The year-to-date operating income is $133,958 and net income is $334,614. Net income includes revenue from sources other than operations. Hudgins said the significant difference in operating and net income for June was partially due to reimbursement of expenses incurred in setting up the electronic medical records system. PCH continues to work on using electronic medical records. A representative from the electronic medical records provider will visit in November to work with each physician at the Family Medical Center on efficient use of their system.
• heard from Hudgins that the OSHA citation for an odor on the medical floor has been resolved. It was rotted vent and drain pipes. The pipes were removed.
• agreed to pay $5,000 Operation Assessment at the Family Medical Center. The hospital received a grant for $5,000 from the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network which will cover the cost. The last survey was at least 12 years ago.
• authorized the purchase of a software upgrade for the medication carts at a cost of $5,000. The upgrade will allow for unlimited user ids.
• authorized the purchase of a reporting interface to transfer lab results from the hospital to the family medical center. Cost is $5,000.
• discussed how the hospital will pay for the new facility with area resident Julie Lunnemann. Hudgins explained the basics of medicare reimbursement.