VMH reviews recent State of Iowa survey

by Brianne Eilers

The month of March turned out to be a financially good month for Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon. The hospital brought in a net income of  $60,740 this March, compared to last March, where the net income was $18,075. With that bottom line, VMH is showing a 1.7% profit margin for the month, which is not exactly where they want to be, but the hospital is still in better shape than they were last March.
Acute patient days were at 183 and skilled patient days were at 122. “With the acute and skilled days combined, that’s probably our biggest patient census in 12 years,” remarked VMH administrator Mike Myers. There were nine deliveries. Total surgeries were down slightly, which Myers explained was due to the fact that one of the surgeons was on vacation. Depreciation is up slightly, due to some of the equipment that the hospital has purchased. A total of $30,000 in Charity Care requests was also approved. Myers noted that April has been fairly busy, though probably not quite as strong as March.
Myers also talked a little bit about the recent survey of the hospital by the State of Iowa. The survey took about two and a half days. There were four deficiencies, which Myers noted two were corrected almost immediately. The other two will be corrected by June 1. “A lot of it has to do with paperwork,” Myers explained of the deficiencies. Myers further explained that the hospital has already heard back from the State that VMH’s plan of correction has been approved. One of the deficiencies involved documentation of a solution that equipment is soaked in. Myers said that the equipment is soaked in the solution, but that the documentation hasn’t been consistent. Accounting for certain medications back in the emergency room, which was corrected almost immediately, was another issue. Also, the proper paperwork for surgeon privileges couldn’t be located, so a new copy was made.
The fourth deficiency involved peer review on practitioners, which VMH has been doing, but the State would like them to do it a different way than how it’s been done. “In my twelve years here, this is my third or fourth survey, and probably the best one we’ve ever had,” Myers stated. He also commended the staff at VMH for being friendly when the state officials asked them questions. The fire marshal also visited at that time, and VMH has some minor issues, like moving sprinkler heads and fixing some doors.
In other matters, VMH has updated its colonoscopy equipment with a high definition device called an Eagle Eye. VMH is continuing to work on instituting the Sentinnel Node Biopsy procedures, which can be used to determine if cancer has spread in a patient. The new birthing tub has also arrived at VMH. Myers also noted that the medical staff at VMH has made positive reports of the PACS system that was put in place at the hospital, which allows for quicker radiology reports, sometimes within five minutes.
The Foundation is gearing up for its golf tournament, which will be held the Monday after Father’s Day. A couple of the VMH Board members attended an education opportunity through the Iowa Hospital Association. Myers noted that a goal for VMH is to be able to provide education opportunities to the Board at each board meeting also.
At the end of April, Myers and Dr. David Schwartz will be heading to Washington, D.C. to talk with representatives and listen to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and other speakers, as they talk about the state of healthcare in the U.S., as well as the future of healthcare.
Myers recently attended the Iowa Hospital Association Board meeting, where they talked about health insurance across the state, as well as projected growth in premiums across the state. Myers gave an example of how an average family right now is probably paying $11,000 to $12,000, but it is estimated that by 2017, with the current rate of growth, that could jump to $30,000, and that the new healthcare reform bill will start taxing health insurance plans that are over $27,500 a 40% excise tax. Single plans will jump to $12,000-$13,000 per year in that same period, and the excise tax starts at $10,500.