Board receives information on transition

Tuesday evening, the Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees heard from Board Attorney Ron Jurovich, who presented on the potential transition of governance.

Should the initiative to create a hospital district pass in the upcoming election, Jurovich noted there are still a number of proceedings that could happen — namely the dissolution and termination of the County Memorial Hospital. He stressed the hospital board may or may not vote to dissolve the hospital.

Should the vote be for dissolution, there must be a plan by the board, which would include payment of all bonds and other indebtedness against the hospital, and disposition of assets; this disposition can be done to a non-profit, governmental hospital or heathcare facility that provides services to the residents of the county, but must be done upon conditions agreed to by the receiving entity.

Another option is for assets to be retained by the county, to be used solely for healthcare purposes by the county.

The plan itself must be approved by the County Commissioners, and if so approved the board has authority to take all action necessary to put the plan into effect and dissolve and terminate the hospital.

With regard to the district, which would take over governance, it is a body corporate named by the County Commissioners. The district has power to hold property, be party to contracts, sue and be sued, acquire real and personal property for hospital purchases and convey, lease or otherwise dispose of property of the hospital.

Trustees make the rules and regulations necessary for the hospital and file them with the county clerk. The district also establishes sinking funds — those set aside for future payments on long-term debt — for hospital purposes, and issues bonds for the purchase of property an improvement of equipment for hospital use.

Jurovich noted that the transition of governance does not address items such as Medicare numbers of billing, which could determine the length of time such a transition takes. He said if the district initiative passes, the transition process begins. A result of this transition could be two boards — one for the hospital, one for the district — operating simultaneously until the process completes. Jurovich said it would be a time-consuming task, but not a daunting one.

In board action, a letter of support was approved for the Antibiotic Stewardship Team. According to a letter to the board, the team was commissioned as a subgroup of the Patient Care Services Committee, and as an outcome of the Infection Prevention services. Studies have shown there is potential for such stewardship programs to provide cost savings or at least offset costs through reduction in drug acquisition costs, correlating with improved clinical outcomes. The letter further acknowledges the mass media coverage of the inability to treat what were once routine infections. This crisis, the letter states, is an outcome of the actions of healthcare providers, and cites several mechanisms, including: sub-optimal or inappropriate use of individual antibiotics, antibiotic use when none is actually indicated, or continued when they are no longer necessary, antibiotics prescribed at the wrong dose and powerful broad-spectrum antibiotics (frequently very expensive) used when a targeted narrow-spectrum antibiotic would have been effective.

Improper use of antibiotics over decades has led to many bacteria becoming resistant to some, if not all, antibiotics, and infections becoming more and more difficult to treat.

Interim CEO Margie Molitor reported she recently visited with Rocky Mountain Oncology, which has services in Lander, and they are interested in establishing an outreach clinic here. She noted this is a good thing, as the practice is already seeing Thermopolis patients that travel to Lander or Casper, and a clinic could provide for outpatient chemotherapy locally.

Also during the meeting, Board Chair Bill Williams expressed appreciation to Chief Clinical Officer Carl Roper and County Commissioner Brad Basse, as Tuesday’s meeting was their last. Williams acknowledged the positive presence each has had with the board.