Veterans Memorial Hospital ends fiscal year with best financial bottom line in current administrator's tenure

by Brianne Eilers

Veterans  Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon ended the fiscal year on a positive note. VMH Administrator Mike Myers noted that while inpatient statistics were down for the month of June, they were still up overall when looking at year-to-date.
Skilled patient days were up 18.7% year-to-date and deliveries were up 19.3% year-to-date. Acute days, however, were down 5.2% year-to-date. Total surgeries were up 5.2%, and outpatient areas also finished the year with most areas seeing an increase in volume. Physical therapy was up 45.8%, while emergency room visits were up 11.2%.
The hospital was also recently audited, which resulted in an adjustment to the bottom line. “On our own, year-to-date, I think we would have made about $50,000, but the auditors adjusted our bottom line to $303,512,” Myers explained. He further noted that VMH will be ending its physical year with a profit of over $700,000. “Probably, from operations, this is the best bottom line since I’ve been here,” Myers said.
VMH has close to $3 million in cash reserves. Days in accounts receivable are at 64.7 days. But Myers noted that the hospital is expecting to start the new fiscal year with a loss.
Myers also discussed information from the patient satisfaction surveys. On the inpatient side of things, the overall mean score for VMH from April 1, 2012 to June 30, 2012 is 93.6. The report noted that 78.6% of responses on the inpatient surveys were “very good”, which is the highest rating, and that during the last period, that number was 66.1% for VMH. The ER report was also favorable, with a mean score of 93.9%. An average of 82.5% of responses on the questionnaire were “very good”, compared to 80.5% the last time.
Myers also touched on the hospital’s balanced score card. He pointed out that under the “services” category, the hospital had been focusing on bringing up scores for courtesy, and under the services category, most of the areas have met and sustained their goal. Overall, the balanced score card has many areas in which the hospital has met or exceeded its goal and maintained that for some time.
A few areas are still in need of improvement, such as succession planning, leadership training/review, community needs assessment, marketing plan, measuring for physician satisfaction and physician recruitment plan.
Myers also reported that VMH has gone over 150 days without an inpatient fall, as the staff continues to focus on patient safety issues. September will bring remodeling projects to the hospital. The nurses’ station will be remodeled, as well as some of the patient rooms and the emergency room area.
Dr. Melissa Simon has begun working at the Gundersen Lutheran clinic, and a general surgeon will be added from the Mayo healthcare system. VMH staff also met with representatives of the Gundersen Lutheran radiology department to provide feedback on the services they provide. “We have been very pleased with what they’ve done and appreciate their efforts,” Myers said.
Myers also discussed a push at the national level to re-evaluate the dispensing and prescribing of narcotic medications. “We are undertaking a review of our practices on that, and may be making some changes on how that is given,” Myers noted. He said they are working with medical staff and the State of Iowa to determine guidelines for that.
He explained that there are people who go from emergency room to emergency room to obtain these narcotic medications to feed their addictions. “There has been more pressure and concern about what we give and what we give it for in the ER,” Myers noted. He also acknowledged that there have been some concerns that people coming to the ER in pain won’t be able to receive medication, which he said wouldn’t necessarily be true.