Hospital Board receives foundation update
More than $400,000 previously raised by the organization known as Tehachapi Hospital Foundation has been placed in an account with the Kern Community Foundation, according to a report by Virginia Staabs, chairman of the Board of Directors of the organization that is in the process of officially changing its name to HighCountry HealthCare Foundation.
Staabs provided a report to the Board of Directors of the Tehachapi Valley HealthCare District at its meeting Jan. 18 and said that the local foundation retains "full control over these funds. The moneys that have been specifically in the past designated as building fund money are still there."
She noted that the name change, which she said is pending approval by the Secretary of State, comes along with an expanded mission statement: "To promote and to advance new health care facilities and to invest in the improvement of the general health and wellness of our community."
"In partnering with Kern Community Foundation we have added a greater scope of fundraising resources such as endowments, planned giving, event hosting and the ability to receive donations via website without any additional costs," Staab said. "The Kern Community Foundation also assists us in making sure nothing we do puts our 501 (c) (3) nonprofit status in jeopardy."
Other items
Other items covered at the Jan. 18 meeting of the hospital district board included approval of a contract with AMN Healthcare, Inc., for assistance in recruiting new hospital staff, specifically a Chief Financial Officer, Chief Nursing Officer and Compliance Officer. The agreement was approved by a vote of 3-0, with board member Bill Steele abstaining and Dr. Susan Hall having left the meeting early due to illness. The agreement includes paying a fee of 25 percent of each position's estimated first year salary.
Two of the positions are currently filled with interim staff and one is vacant, hospital CEO Alan Burgess said. He said the fee level was an industry standard.
While no formal announcement was made, several audience members commented on the fact that CFO Joe Demont had been let go by the hospital.
"I just recently learned that the Hospital CFO Joe Demont was let go," community member John Hicks said. "I'm very disturbed about that, simply amazed, given the guy's performance, given his dedication to his job, given his commitment to the hospital and to the community. I am really disturbed by this. Unless the guy committed some kind of gross impropriety, which I'm not aware of and seriously would doubt, I think that this decision has been a grave breech of some body's good clear thinking. It's a serious mistake to let a guy of that caliber go and I want the board to understand in no uncertain terms the lawyer, the CEO, whoever cares to listen I am very vary disappointed in this board and don't ask me for anything else." This was followed by a large round of applause from the audience.
Also at the meeting, the board approved the renewal of employee benefits by a unanimous vote. The approval of an cross the board pay increase of 48 cents per hour for all current staff, in lieu of a merit increase, had to be tabled due to the wording of the agenda item. The agenda called for "approval of merit increase" and this is in fact an across the board increase not based on merit. The Brown Act requires that the agenda item and the action taken on it be the same.
The board also approved a resolution approving the sale of surplus property.
Ultrasound
A request for the Guild of Tehachapi Hospital for a grant to purchase a Hand-held Ultrasound Unit in an amount not to exceed $55,000 came before the board. Community member William Nelson said, "I do not believe this district should be requesting funds from private organizations, such as the guild or such as the foundation."
Marge Wyatt, vice president of the Guild responded saying, "Mr. Nelson is incorrect, we are not a private organization, we are a corporation. We are incorporated as the Guild of Tehachapi Hospital. One of our primary purposes is to provide equipment for the hospital and we do have enough money to provide that amount." The request was approved by a 4-0 vote.
Construction project
Hospital construction project manager Norm Clendenin said the city had informed him that building permits are ready for the buildings planned to be part of the new Tehachapi Hospital that do not require state approval.
Dave Hagan of Bernard Columbo, the firm expected to handle construction said, "I think most people can figure out that the biggest danger to cost at this point is the delay of the project. Doing some very simple math if you assume a three percent inflation rate per year that will cost this hospital about 2.25 million to delay the project for 12 months. That is separate from any larger escalation that may occur in construction costs do to rising commodity prices."
"I think it's important to know that this delay in construction has now cost us at least $200,000 in additional costs," said board member Steele. "I hope that the frivolous lawsuit that's been filed, that [people who filed] realize it's costing us money and I'm wondering how they're going to make that up to this community when we build this hospital."
Interim Chief Nursing Officer Juliana Kirby introduced the new in house pharmacist Dr. Allen Lee and per diem pharmacist Dr. Carl Statton to the audience. Kirby noted that, "This is the first time in most of our memories that we have a pharmacist in house 40 hours per week."
Information system
Burgess reported that the new Healthland Hospital Information System is currently being installed and it is expected that by the first of July to have everything up and running to start the 90-day meaningful use period. Upon completion of the 90-day period the reimbursement from the Federal Government would kick in and about 80 percent of the cost would come back.
The next meeting of the hospital board is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Golden Hills Community Services District building.
