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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Authority to permit inpatient
hospice unit in Perry Hospital
By Riley Smith
HHJ Staff Writer
PERRY - The Hospital
Authority of Houston
County reached decisions on
several significant matters
during Wednesday’s meet
ing at Perry Hospital - an
inpatient hospice unit*at
Perry Hospital, the selection
of a general contractor for
the new Ambulatory
Surgery Center’s construc
tion and the approval of the
fiscal-year 2005 budget.
First, the authority
approved a motion to extend
the “collaborative relation
ship” the healthcare system
has with Hospice of Houston
County, specifically in the
form of developing an inpa
tient hospice and palliative
care unit in the former
obstetric unit of Perry
Hospital.
The relationship between
the two parties would take a
lessor and lessee approach,
with Hospice of Houston
County supplying all staff,
supplies and medications,
and seeking simply space
and ancillary support servic
es (like radiology and physi
cal therapy) from the hospi
tal.
Ginny Street, executive
director of Hospice of
Houston County, presented
authority members with his
torical data and current sta
tistics on the increasing
need for inpatient hospice
care, and the economic feasi
bility of such an area at
Perry Hospital. The 5,900-
square-foot unit already
Hospital Authority approves 2005 budget
From staff reports
PERRY - During its regu
lar meeting Wednesday
night, the Hospital
Authority of Houston
County approved a $277.5
million budget for fiscal year
2005 for Houston
Healthcare including the
Houston Medical Center,
Perry Hospital, Houston
Heart Institute, Emergency
Medical Service and the hos
pital’s Management Service
Organization. The new
budget reflects an annual
payroll of $57.1 million for
1,269 full-time equivalent
(FTE) employees. This rep
resents an increase of 4.7
percent in additional FTEs
over last year’s budget.
Planned capital expendi
tures of $16.2 million,
including the construction
of a new Ambulatory
Surgery Center, are included
in this budget.
Groundbreaking for the new
Ambulatory Surgery facility
is scheduled for March.
“We look forward to the
addition of this new service
capability at Houston
Healthcare,” said Frank
Aaron, CEO of Houston
Healthcare. “By construct
ing this new facility, we fur
ther our commitment to our
surgeons and patients by
providing state-of-the-art
facilities and equipment
that have become the stan
dard at Houston
Healthcare.”
The 2005 budget includes
an average general rate
increase of 8 percent.
“Our goal is to provide
services as cost-effectively
as we can,” Aaron said.
“However, in order to main
tain our facilities, update
our equipment, provide the
array of services we offer
and adequately compensate
our employees, we must be
able to cover our expenses.”
Aaron attributed the
increase to “continuing
financial challenges” and
shortages in professional
staffing.
“With the current short-
LOOK
contains six patient rooms, a
nursing station, triage room
and various storage rooms.
Street said approximately
$105,000 would be neces
sary to convert the space to
be used as an inpatient hos
pice unit.
The services an inpatient
hospice unit could provide
include symptom manage
ment (for those needing spe
cial settings for acute or
chronic pains), help for fam
ilies transitioning patients
from hospital to long-term
or assisted-living care,
short-term care for families
suffering burnout from
excessive or intensive
patient care needs and limit
ed periods of rest for hospice
families needing alleviation
of care-giving responsibili
ties.
Street estimated that both
parties would break even if
3.64 beds in unit were occu
pied, and 85-104 patients is
the projected Hospice cen
sus at the end the first year.
The inpatient care facility is
expected to become avail
able sometime this summer.
Two weeks ago, Houston
Healthcare received bids
from the shortlist of general
contractors for the construc
tion of its new Ambulatory
Surgery Center. Following
careful consideration of the
total costs and time frames
from each contractor, archi
tectural firm Lyman
Davidson Dooley Inc. made
its recommendation to the
Authority Wednesday to
By the numbers:
Proposed 8 percent rate increase yields gross new
chargee of $20,062,561
Estimated net collection from payers (30 percent)
$6,018,768
Net collections are to be used in operations for:
General wage and salary program for all employees
$1,815,098
RN-nursing adjustment $802,480
Annualized impact of new shift differential program for
RN positions SBOO,OOO
Supply and other expense inflation $1,200,242
Maintenance agreement on imaging equipment/tech
nology $423,000
Additional staffing for patient quality improvement
$377,000
Benefit cost increases (health insurance, FICA, etc.)
$600,948
age of healthcare profession
als, particularly in nursing,
we continue to review our
pay plan and make adjust
ments in order to remain
competitive in the market
place, with an anticipated
cost of over SBOO,OOO in
adjusting RN salaries for
this new budget,” he said.
“These are mqjor expenses
which impact our bottom
line directly, and our ability
to generate funds for any
capital improvements such
as expansions, renovations,
equipment and upgrades in
technology. In order to
achieve these goals, we need
to price our services at a
level that will ensure our
financial solvency and allow
us to provide cost-effective,
quality services.”
According to Jay
Hoffman, interim CFO,
Houston Healthcare’s rates
continue to remain below
the average of most hospital
providers in Middle Georgia.
“We continue to price our
services at a level that is
competitive with other hos
pitals in our region. With
this increase, we will be able
to meet our budgetary goals
and objectives, and continue
to provide for the high qual
ity of care and service our
patients have grown to
expect from Houston
Healthcare. As presented
below, this rate increases
only results in a net collec
tion of 30 percent of the new
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SCHOOL NEWS
award the construction con
tract to Manhattan’s Flagler
Division of Atlanta.
All five bids were under
the healthcare system’s
budget and within an 8 per
cent spread. Manhattan’s
Flagler Division of Atlanta
submitted a bid of
$3,055,000 ($400,000 under
budget), and a 245-day dura
tion. About 36 percent of the
company’s projects pertain
to the healthcare industry;
some of their past jobs have
been for Emory Hospital,
Crawford Long Hospital and
Atlanta’s Bank oT America
building. Lyman Davidson
Dooley representatives
noted that several, local sub
contractors have been con
tacted by Manhattan’s
Flagler Division of Atlanta.
The Authority accepted
the nomination, which
clears the way for a Matfch
15 kick-off, an approximate
completion date of Nov. 15
and an opening date around
Jan. 1, 2005.
Houston Healthcare
Interim CFO Jay Hoffman
presented statistical date
and concluded each business
unit in the system continues
to operate very favorably;
Houston Healthcare’s finan
cial performance as a whole
continues to be positive.
Patient volumes at both
Houston Medical Center
and Perry Hospital remain
higher than originally bud
geted, even after tremen
dous levels in December.
The strong patient volumes
charges due to limited
growth in governmental
payments along with antici
pated increases in indigent
care provided to our
patients. Dollars generated
from this rate increase will
be used for paying competi
tive market level wages to
our employees and investing
in services and equipment
that ensure the highest
quality of care is being pro
vided in our community.”
Houston Healthcare’s fis
cal year 2004 budget does
not include any revenue
from the county for offset
ting the cost of indigent
care, an approximately $3.5
million item which the hos
pital system currently
absorbs.
“From the patient rev
enues we generate, we must
be able to pay for the cost of
providing medical care to
those who have no insur
ance and also operate the
ambulance service for our
County,” Aaron said. “In
order to cover these costs, as
well as continue to provide
services in our community
such as the athletic trainers
in the schools and the vari
ous community education
programs we offer, we must
continue to increase our
patient volumes with a min
imal increase in rates to
enable us to meet this
upcoming budget.”
Both Aaron and Hoffman
pointed out that anticipated
resulted in operating rev
enues $561,000 over budget
at HMC, and $40,000 at
Perry Hospital.
The Hospital Authority
approved a $277.5 million
fis<»l-year 2005 budget for
Houston Healthcare and its
entities. The new budget
reflects an annual payroll of
$57.1 million for 1,269 full
time equivalent employees,
$16.2 million in planned
capital expenditures (includ
ing the Ambulatory Surgery
Center), and a general rate
increase of 8 percent.
Finally, an update on the
upcoming Volunteer Clinic
of Houston County was pro
vided. A collaboration
involving Houston
Healthcare, Volunteers in
Medicine, the Warner
Robins Chamber of
Commerce and local volun
teers plans to open a clinic
to serve the working unin
sured on a part-time basis -
initially 3-4 hours a couple
of days a week. It will be
located in the former
Parkway Med-Stop building,
and funded and supported
by the community itself.
The Volunteer Clinic will
provide ongoing care to a
segment of the population
ihat is experiencing prob
lems with access to care,
perhaps those who currently
rely on episodic treatment in
the emergency rooms, who
don’t qualify for Medicare,
or may not be able to afford
insurance offered by their
employers.
cuts in the state’s Medicaid
reimbursement payment
system to hospitals will
affect Houston Healthcare
by at least $600,000. Since
final numbers for the
Medicaid budget are subject
to further action by the
Georgia General Assembly,
it is possible that additional
cuts could occur.
“We will need to monitor
this situation closely,”
Hoffman said, as any addi
tional change could adverse
ly impact projected operat
ing budget and capital budg
et plans for the coming fiscal
year.
Presents
THE ATLANTA SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA
Presents: McGill Exhibition Hall Georgia National Fairgrounds
Date: March 18,2004
Agenda: 5:45pm Students meet ASO members in Heritage Hall
6:00 pm McGill opens for picnics
6:30 pm West Laurens High School Band
, 7:30 pm Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Cost for Reserved seating: Patron Table S3OO
Grand Patron Table SSOO
Sponsor Table $ 1000
All tables seat eight people. Guests are invited to bring picnic dinners
and table appointments as elaborate or simple as they prefer. Prizes will
be awarded for the most elaborate and the most creative table. No food
or beverage is included in the ticket price. No alcohol may be brought
into McGill Exhibition Hall.
Unreserved Seats (no table): $lO Adults; $5 Student
Military and federal employees ar WRALC may obtain unreserved seating
tickets at a $1 discount at the WRALC Tickets and Travel Office, Building
767.
Dress: Guests’ choice. Black tie to business casual!
Tickets can be purchased at the Houston Arts Alliance office or from any
HAA Board Member. For more information contact the Houston Arts
Alliance office at 478-329-0299, Peggy Vesely at 329-8805, Bobbie
Nelson at 987-2834, or Lora Arledge at 988-6553.
This program is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts
through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the
National Endowment for the Arts. HAA is a recipient of the Middle
Georgia Combined Federal Campaign Fund. Our contribution number
is 9053.
Thank you for your support.
NHS FFA members
serve as Senate pages
HI M
BB JBJ
IBM
submitted
Cody Etheridge and Crystal Gruber from the Northside
High School FFA chapter served as legislative pages of
Sen. Ross Tolleson on Tuesday. This was in conjunction
with FFA Day at the capitol, where 40 students from over
the state were selected to participate. They were able to
observe state government at work and met with the Lt.
Gov. Mark Taylor and other officials. “This was a once-in
a-iifeiime opportunity for me, " said Cody. Pictured above
are Cody and Crystal with Sen. Tolleson.
NOTICE OF INTENTION TO INTRODUCE
LOCAL LEGISLATION
Notice is given that there will be introduced at the
regular 2004 session of the General Assembly of
Georgia a bill to amend an Act providing a new
charter for the City of Warner Robins in Houston
County, approved March 7, 1978 (Ga. L. 1978,
p. 3081), as amended; and for other purposes.
This 24th day of February, 2004
Larry Walker
House Representative
District 115 |
Is Your House Marked?
Pilot Club Of Perry
987-1626 or 987-3370,
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2004
Highly Visible Curb
Sign Can Help Save
Your Life In An
Emergency!
(*ls" Per Sign)
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