Patti Jeunehomme reflects on nearly 4 decades with hospital

After more than 38 years of working with Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital, Human Resources Director Patti Jeunehomme’s final day will be July 2. It seems appropriate that she’s spent so much time working with the hospital, having been born at the former Hopewell Hospital on the hill in Thermopolis.

When she began at the hospital on May 4, 1981, Jeunehomme was the executive secretary, personnel director, and did physician credentialing, ensuring all the physicians had their proper licensing.

“I have had 13 CEO’s,” she said, noting that’s been the most challenging part as each has his or her own way of doing things. She still keeps in touch with her first two CEOs, Don Carlson in Farmington, N.M., and Dan Hampton in upstate New York.

The hospital, she noted, also used to have 49 beds, with high censuses in the upper 20’s and daily averages between 30 and 40. Now it will soon have 15 beds and an average census of five.

Hospital CEO Margie Molitor further noted this was before diagnosis-related groups (DRGs), which came out in 1986, so people stayed much longer. With DRGs coming around, she explained, Medicare stated it would pay a certain amount for certain diagnosis so people couldn’t stay anymore just for convenience.

“You had to have a medical reason to be here,” Molitor said, “because you’re not going to get paid for it. That’s really when you saw the length of stay drop and the census drop.” Surgeries have also changed, she said, as having a gall bladder removed used to mean a stay of a week or two.

One of the most exciting things was the building of the new emergency room, Jeunehomme said, as it used to be the size of an average office. It was also exciting to see the first MRI brought in through the roof.

As with the CEOs, Jeunehomme has seen plenty of physicians come and go. She noted Dr. Vernon Miller is one who was here when she came and is still around.

Molitor added that 38 years is a long time to be with the same organization, let alone the same role, as due to the complexity of the paperwork and regulations it takes multiple people to do the jobs formerly handled by one. Among the value Jeunehomme brought to Molitor — in addition to her smile, laugh and her friendliness — is a historical perspective, providing not only a history of the facility but the community. “It’s very valuable to have that historical perspective of an organization.”

Jeunehomme doesn’t have much in the way of set retirement plans, but will do some camping and attend NHRA races and visit family in New Hampshire at the end of the year.

“The thing that I’m going to miss most is the people,” Jeunehomme said, “because in HR everything is different every day. You meet lots and lots of people.”