Newspaper Page Text
The Summerville News, Thursday, September 29, 1988
10-A
Hospital’s Finances Continuing
To Worsen; Bills Now $170,000
from front page
pected shortfall of $48,986.
The combined hospital and
Oak View Nursing Home lost
more than $101.(§00 in fiscal
1987-88, the Authority was
told at its August meeting.
However, financing agree
ments involving the current ex
pansion of the nursing home re
%lired that bookkeeping for
the two facilities be separated
as of this past July 1.
SURPLUS
And although the hospital
continued to lose money, the
nursing home showed a surplus
of 84.%54 for August and
$17,694 for the Fi:st two
months of the fiscal year. Oak
View funds may no ¥onger be
used to subsidize the hospital's
operations.
Sweitzer reported intense
efforts on his part to recruit
new physicians to Chattooga
County and to possibly con
tract with the Northwest
Georgia Community Mental
Health Center to reserve beds
for the center's use. He also
said negotiations are under
way to locate physical
rehabilitation services at the
hozpital. Discussion are also
under way about the possibili
ty of speech therapy services
for residents of Oak View, he
told the Authority.
CONSTRUCTION
Meanwhile, work is pro
gressing on schedule on the
63-bed addition to the nursing
home, accordiniJ to M.G.
Turner, Rome, architect for the
$1.47-million project. The
Authorirtg approved one
chanie order for the expansion.
The Authority also install
ed four new members at the
end of the meeting and elected
officers, creating a brief con
troversy following the session.
Little discussion resulted
from Sweitzer's presentation of
the monthly financial reports.
Among the figures were the
following:
* The hospital's assets to
liabilities ratio in August was
.89:1 while Oak View's ratio
was 1.34:1. It should be a
minimum of 1:1, he said.
* Gross revenues for the
hospital totlaed $175,423 in
August while deductions from
revenue amounted to $48,725,
expenses were $141.898, and
degt service totaled $7,600. All
the figures were higher than
the budgeted amounts.
» Oa%t View recorded
$128,833 in revenue, $123,529
in expenses and $1,250 in debt
service.
OCCUPANCY
* The hospital recorded 23
patient days in Auf‘ust. com-
Eared to 212 in July. It also
ad an occupancy rate of 24.04
percent last month and a 22.06
percent rate in July. There
were 581 emergency room
visits in August and 563 in
Julz.
Oak View's beds were 100
percent occupied during the
month.
* Emergency room ex
penses were $36,638 in August,
compared with $19,811 in
August, 1987, due to institu
tion of 24-hour, seven-day ser
vice a year ago.
* Hospital laboratory ex
penses were $13,167 last
month and $8,503 in August,
1987.
* Expenses in the X-ray
department dropped from
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Jeff Bishop
and the
Competition Band
Will Be Performing
On Saturday Nights
For the Entire Month
Of October
At the
Chattooga Co. Memorial Home
9:00 P.M.-1:00 A.M.
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OUTGOING AUTHORITY CHAIRMAN KATHERINE CAMP INSTALLS NEW MEMBERS
Roy Brown, Dr. Hugh Goodwin, Ben Mosley, Richard Pewitt
$9,088 in August, 1987, to
$7.253 last month.
* Pharmacy expenses in
ceased from $5,887 in August
a year ago to $9,650 last
month.
NO FUNDS
* Plant operation costs fell
from $5,369 in August, 1987,
to $4,710 last month. However,
Sweitzer said that basically
meant that work on the
physical structure was being
deT‘;yed due to a lack of funds.
* [n-patient revenues in
creased to $76,952 last month
from $59,536 in August, 1987.
* Qut-patient revenues in
creased from $74,310 a year
ago to $97,106 last montK.
* Nursing home expenses
were higher in August than in
July because a $12,500 one
time annual payment was
made to the hosifital-nursing
home auditors last month.
With that exception, expenses
would have been almost the
same both months.
“We stiil continue to have
good progress on construction
of the building, " said architect
Turner.
WINDOWS
After a lengthy discussion,
the Authority agreed to
eliminate several non-patient
windows in the nursing home
at no additional cost. Tie win
dows are located in such areas
as the drug room, patient
bathing area and nurses’
restroom.
The panel asked Turner to
check on the cost of several
other proposed change orders,
including a door for a new
storage area, moving the public
telephone, and relocating water
valves for the sprinkler system
for the existing facility. It re
jected an extra cost change
order of some $9,000 for vinyl
rails on the hall walls.
Turner also said the elec
trical subcontractor had in
stalled electrical cable in the
nursing home instead of the
conduit called for in the
specifications. State regula
tions call for conduit, the ar-
chitect said. Authority
members indicated that state
requirements must be met.
GRAVEL
The Authority also discuss
ed gravel being placed on the
fiarkir;f area behind the
ospital. Sweitzer said no staff
member had the authority to
tell the grading subcontractor
to gravgrthe area and that the
hospital board had never taken
any action on the matter.
Turner said he thought a
mistake had been mafe but
denied telling the contractor to
install the gravel. The Authori
ty didn't take any action.
The executive director also
said that he would meet next
week with 21 family practice
physicians at Floyd K’ledical
Center to determine if he can
interest anv of them in practic
McGinnis Named
Authority Chief
Eugene McGinnis, a Sum
merville pharmacist, was
elected chairman of the Chat
tooga County Hospital
Authority Monday night but it
appeared possible that another
member of the panel might
resign as a result. S
McGinnis was elected after
new members of the panel were
officially installed. 'l‘gey includ
ed Ben Mosley, Richard
Pewitt, Roy Brown and Dr.
Hugh Goodwin. Outgoing
members were Katherine
Camp, who had served as chair
man; Bobby Haygood, who
had served as vice chairman;
and Dr. Jack Meacham.
ABSTAINED
The vote for McGinnis was
unanimous except for Authori
ty member Sherry Bishop, who
did not vote.
The panel then elected
Authority member Ira Pollard
vice chairman and Mrs. Bishop
was reelected secretary
treasurer.
- Immediately after the
meeting adjourned, Mrs.
Bishop told Dan Sweitzer, ex-
Ramsey & Hall
Ford, Inc.
Body Shop
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ing in Chat'too%a. The Authori
ty was agreeable to sponsoring
an informal reception for any
doctors int,eresteg in moving to
the county. .
Sweitzer also said thereis a
possibility that the regional
mental health center might be
interested in reserving two and
one-half beds on a guaranteed
basis, possibly for as much as
SIO,OOO per month.
At the suggestion of
Authority member Dr. Jack
Meacham, Sweitzer said he
would meet with the hospital
attorney to determine the
hospital's legal and medical
responsibilities under such an
agreement. The executive
director said negotiations are
continuing and no final pro
posal has been made. If an
agreement can be reached, he
said. it would help the
ecutive director of the hospital
and Oak View Nursing Home,
that she intended to resign.
She left the building im
mediately. Sources close to the
Authority told The News that
Mrs. Bishop was angered by
not being nominates for the
chairman’s post.
CREDIT
She and Mrs. Camp have
been credited with being the
driving forces behind the cur
rent 63-bed expansion of Oak
View.
Mrs. Bishop couldn’t be
reached Wednesday morning
and Sweitzer was out of town
all day Wednesday. Whether
she had resigned could not be
determined. There were uncon
firmed reports, however, that
she may Ee reconsidering her
threat to resign. -
In other matters, the
Authority unanimously named
Mrs. Camp, Haygood and
former Authority member
Charles Williams as non-voting
members emeritus of the panel.
The position is provided for in
the Ruthority’s bylaws.
hospital's financial position
THERAPY
The Authority, after a brief
discussion, also afireed to pro
vide space for Physical Arts
Rehabilitation Centers to serve
patients of the hospital and
nursing home and to provide
out-patient physical therapy to
the community.
The agreement could result
in some revenue to the hospital
as well as provide a new outpa
tient service, Sweitzer noted.
In other matters, the
Authority gave the executive
director power to continue
negotiations with Associated
Healthfocus concerning possi
ble speech therapy services for
Oak View residents. The ser
vice wouldn't provide any ad
ditional revenue, he said.
SALARIES
Sweitzer also said he had
adjusted the salaries of nursing
aides and Licensed Practical
Nurses (I.LPNs) at the nursing
home, as authorized by the
Authority in August. The in
creases brought t%;:! pay up to
area nursing home standards
and amounted to eight to nine
percent for aides and five to six
percent for LPNs. It will cost
Oak View some $4,000 more
per month but the funds will
ultimately be reimbursed by
Medicare, he said.
Dietary personnel also
received raises of eight to nine
percent, he said, and about 90
percent of the cost will be at
tributed to Oak View.
On the motion of Dr.
Meacham, the Authority
agreed to apply for a retail
pharmacy license. McGinnis, a
Summerville pharmacist, abs
tained from voting. The
hospital pharmacy cou%d serve
neegs of glays Correctional In
stitution when it is opened in
a couple of years ang add to
hospital revenues, Dr.
Meacham indicated.
BYLAWS
The Authority approved
bylaws changing tf‘:e date of ex
piration of members’ terms.
Sweitzer said he would check
into a possible conflict with
local state law regarding the
chan‘fe, noting that the bylaws
could be amended in October if
needed.
The annual employee picnic
will be held at James H. **Slop
py’’ Floyd State Park on Satur
day, Oct. 8, Sweitzer said.
Most items for the picnic have
been donated, he said.
The Authority also install
ed new members and elected of
ficers (see related story).
Language
Lab Added
To College
Floyd College students
returning from summer vaca
tion found a new foreign
language laboratory among t%le
chanfies on campus.
The $40,000 system was in
stalled over the summer to be
ready for students’ use fall
quarter.
Consisting of 20 student
stations with high-fidelity tape
recorders and earphones ams a
computerized teacher's con
sole, the new equipment
replaces a less-sop(}xisticated
language lab that had become
obsolete, according to Sheila
McCoy, foreign language
instructor. Pl
This quarter, Floyd College
plans to offer elementary
French and Spanish, scheduled
in day and evening hours,
depending on student demand.
“Area E}%aclhers interested in
touring the language lab may
contact Ms l\choy at
295-6312.
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gl O oe T PO W e
The Summerville News this week donated
extra copies of its special Chickamauga
Battle Edition to the Chattooga County
Library. The Sept. 15 publication of 34
pages was issueg just prior to the 125th
anniversary reenactment of the Battle of
Chickamauga at Pennville. The lead story
in the special edition noted that the bat
Sesquicentennial Events
Scheduled This Weekend
from front page
two contests should be at the
park after the parade.
Summerville Mayor Sewell
Cash said all members of the
Mayor's Old Timers baseball
teams are invited to participate
in the parade Saturday.
REUNIONS
School reunions will be held
throughout the county Satur
day, organized by the Ses
quicentennial Celebration Com
mittee, a division of the main
Commission. The panel is coor
dinated by the Chattooga
Education Assn. It has
organized reunions for every
school, before and after con
solidation, said Wylene
Selman, chairman.
Seven school reunions are
scheduled for Saturday, and
one for Sunday afternoon.
Chattooga High, Summerville
High, Trion, Menlo, Lyerly,
A. C. Carter School, the Chat
tooga County Training School,
and Subligna School will hold
reunions from 6 to 10 p.m.
Saturday
Gore will hold its reunion at
1 p.m. Sunday in the Gore
Community Center.
The A. C. Carter and Chat
tooga Training Schools will
meet at North Summerville
Elementary, and the Subligna
reunion will be held at the
Subligna Community Center.
All ogflers will meet in the pre
sent school locations.
LARGEST
The largest of the reunions,
Mrs. Selman said, will be the
Chattooga-Summerville
gathering, to be held at Chat
tooga Hifih School. Certain
rooms will be set aside for
classes from each decade to
meet in, she said. ‘‘We will also
be having class pictures made
at the high scgool, starting
around 8 p.m."”
Refreshments will be sold
at each reunion, and those at
tending are asked to bring a
small amount of money for
ref:ieshments, Mrs. Selman
said.
“We urge everyone who at
tended or taught at any of the
county schools to attend,”” she
said. *‘We're hoping for a good
turnout at each reunion.”
CHuecliors [ S
S ille, G
ummerville, Ga. — Chattooga County
* COMMERCIAL BUILDING
e 30 ACRES
SALE NO. 1: 10:00 A.M. - COMMERCIAL BUILDING AND LOT
LOCATION: Property located at the intersection of U. S. Highway 27 and Economy Street In
downtown Summerville, only a short distance from the Intersection of Highway 48, U.S. 27 and
Highway 100.
Valuable frontage on U.S."Highway 27 and good frontage on Economy Street - large commer
clal bullding with central heat and air - office - 2 large showrooms - display room - restroom -
paved parking - strategic location being in downtown Summerviile.
SALE NO. 2: 11:30 A.M. - 30 ACRES
LOCATION: From the courthouse In Summerville, take West Washington Street for 2 blocks to
the First Methodlist Church, turn right onto Congress Street, proceed 2.2 miles to auction sign
and turn right. Proceed 2 miles to property on right.
30 acres beautiful wooded land selling In one tract - city water on property - 440 ft. paved road
frontage on Hamby Road - strategic location being in one of the fastest growing sections of
Chattooga County.
% , Y TOLL FREE &\
|DEAL FOR N 1-800-Dempsey @¥ | \;‘J
INVESTME NT OR ‘ Auction Co. Ray DempseyA by De!npsey
DEVELOPMENT! ; AR e
P.OO. Box 13414302 West Third St.eßome, Georgia 30161 (404) 2910746
Donation To Library
Church homecoming day
will be observed Sunday
around the county. Although a
number of churches have
already held their homecom
ings for the year, others will
observe the ‘sesquicentennial
with special events Sunday.
Some are featured on this
week's church page.
South Summerville Baptist
Church will start its program
with a special service at 6:30
p.m. Saturday. It will feature
the Rev. Tom Freeney, a
former pastor of the church,
the Rev. Jerri; Mahan, a former
member of the congregation.
A musical program will be
fiart of the service.
efreshments will be served
afterward.
ARE YOU AGAINST
HIGHER TAXES?
o V.V R A
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G.O.P.
We can usually insure your house, furnishings, outbuildings,
mobile home or business at a big savings to you, Why? Because:
We are a Co-op Mutual Co.
We are exempt from all taxes and licenses.
We are a non-profit association and prohibited by state laws from
making a profit.
We have no agents — so you pay no agent’s commission.
You deal directly with an officer of the company. You deal with
homefolk in buying your insurance and paying claims.
We are the largest and oldest Farmer’'s Mutual in Georgia,
organized in 1892 and insuring property in our area ever since.
CONTACT BILL TATE
AT TATE FURNITURE CO.
734-2281
WE DO NOT INSURE AUTOS
tle in 1863 almost took place in Chat
tooga. It also featured numerous stories
and photographs about the Civil War in
Nort[;lwest Georgia and Chattooga. Lin
da Floyd, library director, accepted the
copies from newspaper general manager
David Espy, left, and publisher Gene
Espy. (Staf}, Photo).
Mrs. Bonnie Steele will
teach the Ladies’ Bible Class at
Y:45 a.m. Sunday. Special
music will be presented at 11
a.m. and the Rev. John Kellett,
former associate pastor of the
church, will preach.
Lunch will be served after
the morning service and a brief
worship service will be held at
1:30 p.m. and conclude around
3 p.m. No evening service will
be held.
Although they're not of
ficially connected, the annual
Sum-Nelly arts and crafts
festival will be held from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Sum
merville Recreation Center (see
related story).
LUNCH