Pinckneyville Hospital Has a Good Month

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ March was a good month for Pinckneyville Community Hospital. Even without the Medicaid catch-up payment and the return of premiums for liability and worker's compensation insurance, the hospital had an operating income of $296,380 and a net income of $333,506. With the additional payments, those figures increase to $506,528 for operating income and $543,654 for net income.

The hospital can expect to see monthly Medicaid catch-up payments for the next four years said Hospital Administrator Tom Hudgins. As for the premium refunds, PCH belongs to a group that had a particularly good year.

"We'll continue to manage things internally to keep them from turning into professional liability," Hudgins said.

In other business, the board:

-- heard that the paperwork for the HUD 242 and certificate of need applications for the new hospital is in progress. Hudgins said he is hoping that the HUD meeting will take place before the end of June, allowing the hospital to meet the June 25 deadline for the certificate of need for a new hospital.

-- closed a bond service account. The debt was paid, leaving about $1,900 which will be transferred into the general fund.

-- passed the appropriation ordinance for the tax levy for next year. The levy will be passed later in the year. Hudgins said he expects the levy amount to remain about $200,000.

-- heard that the medical staff will receive a demonstration of the electronic medical records system on Tuesday evening. Department manager will also sit in on the demonstration. It will take five or six months to create the tables necessary for the system. Hudgins said he expects the system to go online in January 2010. The Family Medical Center will also move to electronic medical records during that time. PCH plans to meet the government's definition of 'meaningful user' by the end of 2011.

-- heard that the renovation at Family Medical Center is progressing. The new examination and office space may not be put to immediate use. Dr. Bilal is expected to begin work on Aug. 1. However, Dr. Ghani is leaving at the end of May to begin family medical leave. Her contract expires in September. The board agreed to waive the remaining eight or nine days left on her contract after the leave ends.