New directors on board at hospital

One new member has been elected and two will retain their seats on the Board of Directors for Community Hospital of McCook.

Marc Harpham, McCook Fire Chief, was elected to a new three-year term and Kenneth Bracht and Dr. Jane Eskildsen were reelected to the post.

Gary Bieganski, hospital president, said he is very excited at the prospect of having Harpham on the board. "He's been here a long time and we've developed a close working relationship with him," he said.

New committee members were also selected. Jeff Crick will serve as chairman of the Executive Committee, Kenneth Bracht will be vice chairman Patsy Houghton will serve as secretary and Peg Brooks as treasurer.

The budget and finance committee will consist of Peg Brooks, chairman, Kenneth Bracht, Jeff Shaddock and Dirk Gray. The policy, personnel and planning committee will consist of Marc Harpham, Dr. Jane Eskildsen, Patsy Houghton, and Barb Wiemers.

Barb Wiemers and Marc Harpham will serve on the Community Hospital Health Foundation Board of Directors.

Following the seating of the new board, board members received the quarterly budget and finance report from Peg Brooks. Brooks told the board that the hospital's income was down by about $500,000. Most of that decrease was due to an unexpected increase in patients who are on Medicare and Medicaid.

The hospital is part of a national program that will reimburse seven hospitals in Nebraska at a higher rate for Medicare and Medicaid patients, however that program will not begin until July 1, 2005.

With the decrease, Bieganski said, the hospital is looking a ways to better manage costs.

The hospital has been working to bring a new fire alarm system online which connects all its satellite clinics to the hospital. Bieganski said the system still has a few bugs and appreciates the McCook Fire Department and volunteers for their patience in responding to false alarm calls.

The number of hospital acquired infections was significantly lower than the national average at Community Hospital during the first quarter of the 2004-05 fiscal year.

Bieganski said the national average is 5.4 percent. Community Hospital had no reported cases in July. The hospital reported .74 percent average in August and .96 percent average in September.