The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON—At their meeting on Dec. 21, CCHS hospital commissioners adopted a resolution finalizing the selection of Shane McGuire as CEO of the hospital district. They also approved the 2016 budget, and discussed the hospital remodel/redesign.

The budget for 2016 shows projected net revenue of $12,537,174, expected expenses totaling $13,508,178, and an operating loss of $971,004. Non-operating sources of revenue, money from donations and grants, interest income, and tax revenue, adds back $984,172, yielding a net income of $13,168 for 2016.

Chief Financial Officer Lee Holter agreed that there could be some unforeseen expenses, but said he hopes to see additional revenue through increased use of outpatient and emergency services, increased use of diagnostic tools, such as magnetic resonance imaging, and lower utility rates due to lower costs for propane.

Holter also said that some local residents can expect to receive refunds from the CCHS in the second quarter of 2016. He said individual accounts are being scrutinized in order to determine if there are credit balances. In 2012-2013, $7,000 in overpayments were made by insurance companies or by patients, necessitating this round of refunds, he said.

In his report, CEO Shane McGuire said the hospital remodel/redesign is moving forward, with input from the architects and the general contractor.

McGuire said that making all the changes suggested by consulting firm Stroudwater Associates would raise the total price of the project to around $6 million. In order to keep costs in line with the taxpayer-approved amount of $5.5 million dollars, some changes to the design will need to be made, he said.

McGuire said construction of outpatient rehabilitation services and the hydrotherapy pool will proceed as planned, but there will be no changes made to the Radiology Department, or to acute services.

“There will also be no move for the emergency department,” he said. “Why tear it out and move it twenty feet?”

The primary focus will remain on patient privacy, enhanced therapies, and staff efficiencies, McGuire said. “We are striving to improve services,” he added.

McGuire also talked about the importance of developing a marketing strategy for DGH, particularly for swing bed utilization. He pointed out that patients are currently receiving services from other medical facilities that could be performed at DGH.

Cardiac services such as stress testing and cardiac rehabilitation, along with total parenteral nutrition, for patients who cannot get their nutrition from food, are just a few of the services DGH can provide, he said.

“We want our patients back,” McGuire said.

The December meeting was the final meeting for Commissioners Lisa Naylor and Jim Kime. It was the first meeting attended by Wes Leid, who replaces Naylor, and Ken Dyball, who replaces Kime.

The commissioners decided to wait until the January meeting to certify the election.

They also agreed to hold a swearing-in ceremony and reception for the newly elected commissioners. It is tentatively set for Jan. 14 at 2 p.m. in the hospital cafeteria, and the public will be invited.