Newspaper Page Text
10-A
... .The Summerville News, Thursday, June 30, 1988
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EUGENE McGINNIS (WITH MIKE) PRAISES KATHERINE CAMP (L), SHERRY BISHOP (R)
Authority Member Cites Both Women For Work On Oak View Expansion Project
Ground Broken For Oak View
Members of the Chattooga
County Hospital Authorit
were all grins when they OK
ficially brae ound on the ad
dition to Oafir View Nursing
Home last Friday morning.
But the chairman of the
panel warned that while the
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GROUND OFFICIALLY BROKEN FOR OAK VIEW ADDITION
Mrs. Camp, Pollard, McGinnis, Mrs. Bishop, Dr. Meacham
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Staff Photos
CROWD GATHERED UNDER TREES TO VIEW OAK VIEW GROUNDBREAKING
Group Included City, County Officials, Candidates .
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¥ S | ’H/.\PPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! : ‘ *
nursing home project had got
ten under way, the Authority
still faced a crisis over the
deteriorating condition of the
hospital.
WARNING
Kathérine Camp sounded
the warning just prior to the
ceremonies.gSi\e asEed those at
tending the ceremony for their
ideas and sugiestions and
assistance in keeping the
hospital open ‘f)or the
community.
Mrs. (4¥amp cited Sheriff
Gary McConnell and Tommy
Toles, editor of The News for
helping the panel cut red tape
on the state level when it ap
peared that the project was
endangered.
Eugene McGinnis, a
member of the Authority,
praised Mrs. Camp and Sherry
Bishop, another Authority
member, for their work on the
groject. He endorsed praise of
oth women in an editorial in
last week’'s edition of The
News.
INVOCATION
The Rev. Pat Wrisley, new:
;I;astor of Summerville
resbyterian Church, West
Washington Avenue, gave the
invocation before the brief pro
gram began.
Mrs. Camp, Mrs. Bishop,
Ira Pollard, Dr. Jack Meacham
and McGinnis, all Authorit
members, took part in the o{
ficial groundbreakiftlllfi
ceremonies, tossing shovels
of dirt near a photographer.
Tri-City Construction Co.,
LaFayette, holds the contract
on the 63-bed addition. It is
supposed to be completed
sometime next February. T.g»
City submitted a bid of*
$1,241,000 for the
14,808-square-foot building.
The Authority has obtained a
$1.47-million loan for the pro
ject. The loan will be useg to
Fay for new equipment for the
acility, architectural and legal
fees and interest on the interim
construction loan.
FmHA
The federal Farmers Home
Administration (FmHA) has
committed funds for the long
term loan. Final closing of the
FmHA loan is expected
sometime this summer.
The Authority has worked
on the project for the past four
and one-half years.
POWELL ANGRY
Mrs. Bishop revealed Mon
day night at the Authority’s
monthly meeting that Commis
sioner Harry Powell, who was
at the groundbreaking last Fri
day, became irate about some
of the Oak View grading
Monday.
She and Mrs. Camp said the
Chattooga Emer%ency Medical
Service apparently told Powell
that some of the grading work
east of the nursing home would
eliminate an entry-exit road for
its ambulances.
Mrs. Bishop said the
grading was necessary to build
the nursing home a?g that the
roadway would relocate as
soon as possible. In the mean
time, however, the Chattooga
EMS has three other routes to
the hospital's emergency room,
she said.
Carlton Vines, Authority
attorney, said the dpanel owns
the property and that the
gradm% should continue as
scheduled.
Perry Against
Local Bypass
Tim Perry of Trion, who is
runninfi for the legislative seat
now held b&l Rep. John
Crawford, said he opposes a
U.S. 27 bypass around
Summerville.
Perry made the comments
in a press release issued last
Friday. Instead of the bypass,
the Democratic candidate said,
he wants U. S. 27 widened to
four lanes into Summerville.
‘A bypass will only isolate ex
isting %usinesses in the coun
ty and hamper the search for
future industry,’” he said.
Four-laning U.S. 27 will
make it safer, he said. When
the state a%reed to widen the
roadway between Summerville
and Trion, he thought it had
decided against a bypass.
Hospital May Lose
$300,000 Next Year
Chattooga County Hospital
is expected to lose more than
$300,000 during the next 12
months.
Meanwhile, Oak View Nur
sing Home is projected to have
a surplus of at least $313,000
in the 1988-89 fiscal year.
However, Oak View's
surplus will no longer be
available to help shore up the
hospital's rapidly failing
finances.
The proposed tentative
budgets were presented to the
Chattoo%a County Hos;t)ital
Authority at its monthly
meeting Monday night. No im
mediate action was taken by
the panel.
FRIDAY
Dot Hurley, the hospital’s
bookkeeper, handed out copies
of the proposal, noting that
finances for the two facilities
must be sgfarated as of Friday.
The federal Farmers Home Ad
ministration (FmHA) ordered
that finances for both facilities
be separated as one of the re
quirements for making its
$1.47-million loan to expand
Oak View by 63 beds.
Total revenue for the
hospital alone is estimated at
$1,601,925 for the next 12
months, compared to
$1,362,0563 for the current
fiscal year.
Expenses next year are pro
jected at $1,819,163, compared
with $1,647,201 for 1987-88.
The deficit is estimated to
be $301,321 as of June 30,
1989. If the nursing home's
finances and the hospital’s ac
counts were separated this
year, the hospitaY' s deficit to
day would be about $369,469,
CCH Future Uncertain
from front page
of the Authority, expressed ap
parent impatience with Dr.
Spivey, noting that while out
patient revenues were up
significantly, inpatient income
was down. “We don’t have pa
tients in the hospital and you
can't run a hospital without pa
tients,” she said. The Authori
ty has been unable to attract
more doctors to the communi
ty and the hospital's patient
census has dropped befi)w the
break-even point as a result,
Mrs. Camp added.
Dr. Jack Meacham, a
member of the Authority and
a Summerville physician Dr.
Spivey and Dr. Goodwin all
agreed that they could keep a
higher patient census in the
facility but that the hospital
wouldn’'t make any money
because the patients couldn’t
pay their bilf;.
PR DRIVE
Some local patients decide
they want to enter a Rome
hospital for tests or treatment
when that level of care isn't
needed, said Dr. Goodwin, and
it's imgossible to make them
enter the Chattooga Hospital.
A sound, continuous public
relations prt:fram designed to
boost the advantages of the
local facility is needed, he said.
Spivey suggested setting
up a broad-based panel of
citizens to work up a short
term and long-range financial
plan for the hospital before the
Authority decides to sell the in
stitution. The “weight" of such
a panel would encourage local
governments to provide funds
to the hospital, the physician
said.
Mrs. Camp said the
Authority had already ap
proached local governments
with requests for funds.
HELP NOW?
Eugene McGinnis, another
Authority member, said the
Fanel was exploring all g{)tions
or saving the hospital. He also
asked Dr. Spivey whether the
citizens panel approach would
result in funds being made
available to the hospital in the
short term.
It might, Spivey replied.
Boney said purpose of the
May 24 community meeting on
the future of the Kospital was
desig’ned to “‘get the ox out of
the ditch, and I felt we gave it
a pretty good shove.” It was
timely to af)proach local
governments or h(;llp at that
ime because officials learned
that local residents want to
keep the facility open.
“Anyone who's elected will
support the hospital or wish he
had,” Boney said.
If all cities by resolution
ask the county commissioner
to levy a countywide tax to
support the hospital, Boney
sald‘.) he felt the commigsioner
would do so.
PLATFORM
What's needed is someone
running for commissioner on a
latform of kee%ing the
Eospital open, said Dr. Good
win. The commissioner must be
committed to signing a con
tract to provide a certain sum
each year and to provide that
the tentative budget figures
estimated. However, revenue
from Oak View this year is ex
pected to reduce the combined
deficit to around $140,000 to
$150,000 by the end of today,
the conclusion of the 1987-3,8
fiscal year.
PATIENTS
In-patient revenue for the
hospital is e:‘fected to fall from
an estimated $1,063,646 this
year to $801,895 in 1988-89,
the budget shows. The drop is
expected because of fewer pa
tients being admitted to {’he
hosgital.
owever, out-patient
revenue gained through the
emergency room is expected to
jump from $654,607 this year
to $1,025,080 during the next
12 months.
The financial picture for
Oak View appears brighter,
based on the estimated budget
for that institution.
Gross revenue of
$1,511,269 is projected for next
year, compared to a figure of
$1,288,491 for this current
year. That revenue figure
doesn’t include any additional
revenue from the opening of
Oak View's 63 new beds late
next winter or early spring.
OVNH
Expenses for the nursing
home t}())r 1988-89 are estimated
at $1,177,456, compared with a
figure of $887,069 E)r this year.
After deducting debt ser
vice for the nursing home, it
would end the next %2 months
with a surplus of $313,476, the
budget pmf'ects. The current
year's surplus is estimated at
$377,733. The expense figure
money as promised, rather
than doling out small irregular
amounts on a few occasions.
“If I were a politician run
ning for office, I wouldn’t make
that statement,” retorted Mrs.
Camp. A candidate would have
to know that some voters still
don't support the institution,
she replieg when asked for her
reason.
In evident frustration at
the discussion, Mrs. Camp
named Boney as head of the
proposed citizens committee
and told him to select the
panel’'s members.
CONTRACT
Mrs. Bishop said a 1970
contract between the commis
sioner and the hospital requires
that the county levy a tax to
support the facility if it can’t
pay its bills.
Dr. Meacham suggested
that a tax-exempt foundation
be established to benefit the
hospital. Mrs. Camp and Mrs.
Bisfiop, who did much work on
the Oak View expansion pro
ject, said they di(gl‘t have the
time to do the paperwork to
establish a foundation. Carlton
Vines, hospital attorney, said it
wouldn't be a problem to set up
a foundation and then apply for
tax-exempt status.
Boney said the hospital will
face its biggest financial crisis
during the next six months,
not enough time for a founda
tion to be set up and become ef
fective. Dr. Meacham said after
the meeting that he realized a
foundation would be a long
ranie project but hoped that
work on it could begin in the
immediate future.
NOMINATIONS
Boney suggested that when
nominations to fill Authority
vacancies are submitted to the
August term Chattooga Grand
Jury, each municipality and
the county be aske(F to submit
groposals to the Authority. Or,
e said, each city could name
a member to the advisory
committee.
Mrs. Camp said Commis
sioner Harry Powell told her
and Mrs. Bishop that he wasn't
interested in naming anyone to
the Authority.
McGinnis asked Bob
Throneberry, assistant ad
ministrator at Floyd Medical
Center, whether FMC'’s earlier
commitment to locate at least
two doctors in Summerville in
mid-1989 was still firm.
Throneberry said the
medical center would do its
best to recruit two doctors for
the community and locate
them in offices if nothing can
be worked out for them to
begin their practice with ex
isting doctors.
Dr. Goodwin said neither
FMC nor the community can
“make” a doctor come to Chat
tooga or remain in the county.
NAMES
If the Authority obtains the
names of some 1,000 people
who want the county to sup
port the hospital, Dr. Goodwin
said, the commissioner will
have to listen to appeals for
funds.
Mrs. Camp said the
Authority would try the com-
doesn’t include the first p?"
ment on the Oak View addi
tion, which won't be due until
the 1989-90 fiscal year.
Katherine Camp, chairman
of the Authority, expressed
doubt after the meeting that
the hospital could continue to
operate through the end of this
calendar year with such a
massive deficit facing the
facility.
The Authority is consider
ing the sale of the hosrital and
nursing home, as well as any
financial plans that a local
citizens committee might
develop in the immediate
future (see related story).
COMBINED
The Authority at its May
30 meeting. adopted a combin
ed 1988-89 budget for the
hospital and nursin% home,
saying that separate budgets
for both facilities would be con
sidered at a later date.
That budget called for ad
justed %ross revenues of
$2,903,194, expenses of
$2,786,619 and degt service of
$104,420. ;
The figures gave the
hospital-nursinf home complex
a $12,155 surplus for 1988-89.
Bob Throneberry of Floyd
Medical Center, wfi,ich has a
management contract with
Chattooga Hogpital and Oak
View, cautioned that revenues
listed in the budgets would be
valid only if they were
collected.
Because bills for services
are sent to hospital customers
doesn’t necessarily mean that
the hospital will be paid, he
indicated.
mittee approach. Mrs. Bishop
told the doctors and Boney,
however, that the Authorit,
will still pursue its options witg:
Williams and other firms in
terested in the hospital. “'lf it
comes to closing because we
can't pay our bills — we've got
to have other options,” she
said.
Williams, in his brief
remarks at the beginning of the
Authority meeting, said doc
tors in Rockmart, where his
company owns the hospital,
have been ‘‘extremely
cooperative.” He suggested
that Chattooga’s doctors con
tact physicians in Rockmart to
ask them about improvements
made to the facility.
Dr. Spivey didn’t mention
Dr. Atha's comments to him
while Williams was present but
later told the Authority about
his conversation with the
Rockmart doctor.
SURPLUS
The hospital-nursing home
ended May with a monthly
surplus of $1,407, said Morris
Brunson, the hospital’s finan
cial consultant who is based
with FMC. But it recorded a
deficit of $149,661 for 11
months ending May 31, he
noted. The 1987-88 fiscal year
will end today and the final
figures for the year are ex
pected to be available by the
Authority’s July 25 meeting.
The hospital recorded
$305,722 in revenue in May, ac
cording to its monthly financial
statement. A((i{iustments to
revenue, inclu izlf Medicare
adjustments, totaled $65,764,
resulting in adjusted gross
revenue of $239,958. Expenses
totaled $228,855 and de%t ser
vice costs amounted to $9,696,
resulting in the $1,407 surplus
for the month.
The hospital alone recorded
revenue of $181,371. Direct ex
penses amounted to $81,486
and indirect costs totaled
$128,907 for a net loss of
$29,022.
Oak View, on the other
hand, had revenues of $124,351
and expenses of $84.226 for »
’ REVIVAL I
PLEASANT HILL
BAPTIST CHURCH
JULY 4-8 — 7:30 NIGHTLY
Rev. Druey Tierce
Guest Evangelist for Monday,
Tuesday and Friday Nights
Pastor, the Rev. Wayne Hindman,
Will Preach Tuesday and Thursday Nights
Everyone Welcome
11 MONTHS
Sherry Bishop of the
Authority also fresented her
analysis of the 11-month fiscal
year periods through May 31,
1987 and May 31, 1988.
Mrs. Bishop said most of
the decrease in revenues could
be attributed to fewer patients,
Medicare and Medicaid ex
penses and bad debt charge
offs.
The main increase in ex
pense for both facilities involv
ed the emergency room, she
said. That cost figure increas
ed by $142,318 from 1987 to
1988, she said. However,
emergency room revenue also
increased by $357,200, Mrs.
Bishop noted.
There was also a $45,887 in
crease in expenses at Oak
View, a $33,332 hike in ad
ministration for the hospital
and an increase of $16,513 in X
ray operations, Mrs. Bishop
said.
However, emergency room
revenues more than oft}s,et the
co§(ti: of the X-ray increase, she
said.
DEFICIT
The 11-month deficit for the
hospital-nursing home complex
was $149,661 at the eng of
May, she said, but if it hadn’t
been for the emergency room
revenue, the deficit would like
ly have been closer to $249,000.
Meanwhile, in-patient
revenue fell by $157,612 from
1987 to 1988, lzlrs. Bishop said.
Revenue for 1988 through
the end of May was up gy
$328,766, said the Authority
member, who is also a Certified
Public Accountant.
sur!}lus of $40,125.
he combined operating
surplus was $11,103, not coun
ting the $9,696 deducted for
debt service.
OCCUPANCY
The hosgital’s occupancy
rate dipfed om 31.94 percent
in April to 24.87 percent in
May. The average for the entire
year has been 22.33 percent.
A total of 239 patient days
was recorded in May, com
pared to 297 in Atpril.
The number of emergency
room visits increased from 519
in April to 624 in May, Brun
son noted.
The assets to liabilities
ratio was 1.48:1, he continued,
compared to a figure of 1.42:1
in April.
In other action, the
Authority accepted a construc
tion loan from Bank of the
South, to be handled through
the First National Bank of
Chattooga County. The in
terest rate should be between
7 and 7.5 percent, Mrs. Bishop
estimated. The long-term
federal Farmers Home Ad
ministration (FmHA) loan
should be closed in late July,
she added.
INSPECTOR
There was a consensus
favoring the naming of ‘‘Bud
dy’’ Byars to be the Authori
ty’s inspector on the Oak View
project. He offered to do the
firoject without charge to the
osglital.
rs. Camp said she and
Mrs. Bishop will meet with
representatives of the Georgia
Department of Corrections
(DSC) at 10 a.m. Friday to
discuss the medical neecf; of
the Forest Hays Correctional
Institute at Pennville. The
facility is due to open in early
1990.
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