Hillcrest needs to replace board member, volunteer

McCOOK, Neb. — Two long-term volunteers at Hillcrest have notified board members of their imminent departure.

Jim Howard, a member of the Hillcrest Board of Trustees for 17 1/2 years and Don Harpst, former Hillcrest administrator and after that, de facto landscaper for the facility, both announced via a letter their intent to step down from their roles, at the Hillcrest board meeting Friday.

Board member Randy Dean read a letter from Howard, that said he would not seek re-appointment as a Board of Trustee member for 2018. Howard was present at Friday’s meeting and cited family medical concerns as the reason for not seeking re-appointment. He added that he would serve until Red Willow County Commissioners appointed a replacement, but the current “six-year term is too long right now,” he said.

Brad Cheek, Hillcrest administrator, who read Harpst’s letter, acknowledged with the rest of the board the amount of time and effort given to Hillcrest by Howard and Harpst. Dean said maybe a local church group could take care of large flower beds at Hillcrest, with Harpst’ departure.

In other business, the board voted unanimously to purchase a new electronic system, at $9,898, to keep residents who are cognitively unaware, from wandering outside the facility. Cheek told the board that the current system is older and gets too much electronic interference for it to work properly. “It’s smart money spent, on what could be a catastrophic event for us,” he told the board.

The “Wander guard” system works by electronically shutting down doors to patients who are wearing a specialized bracelet. An alarm also goes off to alert staff of the situation. Not all residents wear the bracelets, he said, only those deemed to need protection.

In revenue, the facility netted $36,000 profit last month. That’s not as high as the previous month but to be expected for the summer months, said Renee Wright, Hillcrest business manager. She said the new decreased reimbursement rates for Medicaid started July 1 so any differences would be noted in next month’s financials.

Board member Mike Eklund noted that preliminary numbers show that Hillcrest is on track to make $55,000 for the 2017-18 fiscal year. Cheek responded that is the result of a “team effort from top to bottom,” with the entire staff motivated to keep the success going. Jim Howard suggested that because of that, a note of appreciation could be included in everyone’s paycheck.

As of July 27, the facility had 86 residents, with two in hospice, nine with Medicare, 24 with private pay, 43 with Medicaid, four eligible for VA assistance, plus four in Pineview, the special care unit.

In other business:

* The board unanimously voted to not remove a tree, a crab apple, in front of a window in the 300 wing. Board member Randy Dean told the board that someone had requested the removal but after talking to staff, he felt it was unnecessary. According to Dean, staff told him that the residents enjoyed watching the birds in the tree and seeing the flower blossoms in the spring.

* Whether Hillcrest offers short-term disability insurance to full-time employees, instead of the current long-term, was tabled until next month’s meeting. Amanda Randolph, Hillcrest human resource director, brought the item to the board Friday and said it was a benefit employees can use sooner rather than later. She requested that Hillcrest pay the premiums for the short term disability rather than its current policy of paying premiums on long-term disability and to discontinue life insurance.

“People are living in the now ... this would be helping our employees more,” she said.

Via a telephone conference call Friday morning, the board heard a description of short-term disability benefits offered by the company, “Companion.”

The item was not on the agenda so no action could be taken at Friday’s meeting. Dean said the board is looking at Companion as well as three other companies for short-term disability, Trans America, Aflac and All-State.

Board member Mike Eklund asked Randolph to provide a cost analysis for next month’s meeting, between Hillcrest’s costs on long-term disability and life insurance, versus costs of short-term disability.

Cheek said offering short-term disability may reduce the length of accumulated sick time available to full-time employees and requested that the board hold off on approving the newly revised employee handbook, that specifies sick leave policy. If the board decides to offer short-term disability, it’s important that employees understand why sick leave would be reduced, he said.

After the regular meeting, the board re-convened in closed executive session for “protection of public interest, Hillcrest and another entity.”