OCR Text |
Show The Gunnison Valiev News The Soling Sun Wednesday, April 27J.9.SS and shrub seedlings Many changes planned Tree available for sale locally for Gunnison Hospital soon A number of changes in operating policies and procedures are planned for the Gunnison Valley Hospital, according to Dr. Richard McDermott, who was appointed last week as Acting Administrator. McDermott, a health care consultant from Provo, will serve in this position during the time that the hospital is looking for a new administrator. One of the first changes to be made will be the implementation of a new Collections Policy, which was reviewed and adopted last Tuesday night by the hospital Governing Board. The policy is similar to those of neighboring hospitals, according to McDermott, and is being implemented in an effort to increase hospital cash flow and to assure that the hospital can continue to provide quality services to the people of Gunnison Valley. At the public hearing last week, it was revealed that the hospital currently has over $557,000 in accounts receivables, $211,000 of which arc over ninety days old. Part of the problem was the lack of an adequate accounting and filing system that allowed the hospital to produce statements on a timely basis. The lack of good policies and procedures for account collection was also cited as a problem. The inability of the hospital to collect old accounts contributed significantly to the cash crisis the hospital had in early March, Dr. McDermott noted. The new policy stales that The sole objective of the Gunnison Valley Hospital is to provide high quality health care services at a reasonable price Unlike organizations, the primary purpose of the hospital is not to make a profit. Like all business organizations, however, the hospital must pay for the services and supplies that it consumes, and must therefore generate cash flows sufficient to meet its obligation. The policy notes that all patients must make arrangements for payment at the time of discharge. While it would be nice if patients could pay cash at the time of service, ys he hospital recognizes that this is is and to so possible willing for-pro- not-tlwa- continue to allow patients to pay their accounts over a period of time, as long as they continue to make payments according to the schedule, said Kathryn Caldwell, Assistant Administrator of Finance. Dr. McDermott noted that the only source of money the hospital has to pay its bills are patient accounts. We dont have significant contributions or a large endowment to subsidize operations. Right now the patients who pay their bills arc subsidizing the patients who dont. My impression is thatthccommunity supports the hospital, and I think that patients will be wiling to keep their accounts current with the implementation of a new billing system and collection policy. Kathryn Caldwell notes that one of the first programs to be implemented will be a program. Hospital physicians will be requested, when possible, to notify the hospital of future admissions for elective surgery and obstetrics. Upon notification, business office personnel will contact these individuals and obtain insurance information, a d where necessary, set up a hospital payment schedule that will allow the patient to begin paying for his or her hospital services prior to admission. Regardless of ability to pay, however, the hospital will not reuse services to patients with emergency medical needs, or those with a life threatening or immediate health Mrs. threatening condition, Caldwell stressed. One of the problems of the past is that patients sometimes bill their Another problem has been collections on outpatient and emergency services. The business office personnel arc now working on a system that will allow them to prepare a bill at the time of service, so that cash can be collected, where possible at the time the patient leaves the hospital. However, the hospital stresses that emergency medical needs or life threatening conditions will not be refused. Bad debt is another problem being addressed. In the pst, the hospital was reluctant to pursue past patients who refused to make payments on their accounts. This will be If people wont make changed. payments, and won t contact us to let us know what is happening, we ill have to turn them over to a col lection agency. We dont like to do that, it costs the patient more money and sometimes creates ill will. Our goal, is to keep hospital costs as low as possible, and to do that we need to control bad debts, said Mrs. Caldwell. A search has begun for a new administrator. The Board is looking for a candidate with a masters degree in administration (preferably hospital administration) and a minimum of three years experience as a hospital administrator or assistant administrator. The Utah Hospital Association has been contacted and is notifying its members of the opening. Dr. McDermott reported that he hopes to accomplish the following goals during his interim administration, including: 1. Design and installation of a new hospital accounting system. The system now being used is obsolete; software is outdated, and the hospital has received notice from the manufacturer that they will no longer service the outdated computer. New system will contain general ledger, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and possible cost accounting and case-mix. 2. The installation of a purchasing and inventory system on a PC computer. There are several software packages currently available, they are not expensive but can assist the hospital in reducing inventory levels. 3. The design and installation of a PC computer based hospital budgeting system. In the past, department heads were not involved in the preparation of budgets, and did not receive reports on financial performance. McDermott says he believes that department heads cannot manage if they arc not given the proper tools, including budgets and financial reports. 4. The implementation of a charge slip system. Hospital charges are CQrrcnlly extracted from the medical record. The present system is insufficient, tics up the medical record which is needed for Medicare billing, and results in numerous lost charges. 5. The completion of a productivity and salary study. The Division of State Lands and Forestry annually produces high quality tree and shrub seedlings for use in conservation plantings throughout the state. Seedlings may be obtained at low cost in lots of 1 00 only by anyone interested in planting for conservation purposes such as windbreaks, soil erosion control, Christmas tree plantations, and wildlife habitat. These seedlings arc not available for ornamental plantings. Price of 1 00 barcrool seedlings range from S30 to $35. The price of containerized higher. Barcroot seedling species available from the Lone Peak State Nursery arc Scotch Pine, pondcrosa pine, Austrian pine, honeylocusts and black locust. Lilac, blue spruce, Englcmann spruce, Austrian pine Utah residents calling southern Colorado will soon need to be sure they 'redialing thecorrect area code. A new area code - 719 - will be introduced in southern Colorado beginning March 5, to accommodate the demand for more telephone numbers. Residents of northern and western Colorado, including Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Greeley and Grand Junction will retain the states original code of 303. In the southeastern and south central parts of the state, the 719 number will replace the 303 area code. Some of the larger cities that will be affected include Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Leadvillc and Alamosa. Mt. Bell customers with questions about the new area code may call the companys 24 hour customer service number, toll free, at Phone News Items 529-783- 9 Pastor Medford Hutson Invites everyone to attend the Worship Services and Sunday School of the new 1st Baptist Church of Gunnison Worhsip Service 9:00 a.m. Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Each Sunday Everyone is Invited! Wagon, 4 cyl, Automatic, FWD Red, Low miles $1,995 Call Ron, Jay or Kendyl at Your Used Vehicle Specialists 280 North Main - Gunnison 528-779- 5 Mothers Day -- at Mom's Cafe Main Street - Salina Fresh Roast Turkey and all the Trimmings Fillet Mignon and 2 hand breaded Shrimp Fabulous Prime Rib Chicken Breast and 2 hand breaded shrimp Plus the regular menu! Producers Livestock Salable at auction 882, compared to 2233 last week and 1 867 last year. Fair attendance. Moderate demand. Feeder steers and heifers mostly steady with quality and fleshiness less attractive than previous sales. Slaughter cows steady, higher. slaughter bulls 3.00-4.0- 0 feeder cattle, Supply about 75 20 slaughters cows and bulls, remainder calves. Feeder Steers: Medium and Large Frame 1: wide range 3.00-4.0- 0 400-50- 0 lbs lbs 90.00-111.0- r V, 0; 93.00-99.0- lbs 500-60- 0 0; 85.00-90.0- 0, package 559 lbs 93.00; 600-70- 0 lbs 75.00-84.5mostly 81.00-84.00; 0, 700-80- 0 lbs 74.00-76.0- 0. 500-65- 0 Large Frame 2 Holsteins 67.00-70.0680-90- 0 73.00-76.00lbs ;l lbs 1023 63.50. lbs package Feeder Heifers: Medium and 91.00-102.0Large Frame 1: 300.400 lbs 79.00-85.0400-50- 0 lbs 500-60- 0 lbs part load 436 lbs 90.00; 600-70- 0 77.00-83.0lbs 73.00-76.2700-80- 0 lbs 69.00-73.7800-90- 0 lbs 64.00-65.0Slaughter Cows: High Cutter and boning Utility 3 47.00-50.5several high dressing 53.60; bieak-in- g 4 Utility and Commercial 47.00-50.5high dressing individuCutter and low als 52.00-55.00; 0; 0, 5; 0; 4 5; 0, Located in the new Gunnison Valley Community Center 20 South Main South of Gunnison Bank 1982 Pontiac J2000 Sunbird Treat Mother to Dinner on Jean Agriculture Report Spring grain seeding progressed well during the week with over six days suitable for field work, according to the Utah Agricultural Statistics Service. Soil moisture remained short with 67 percent of the respondents reporting short and 33 percent adequate. Someirrigation was reported. Seventy eight percent of the spring wheat was seeded; 82 percent of the barley, and 58 percent of the oats. This is ahead of last year and the five year averages. Spring land preparation was 68 percent complete, compared with 58 percent last year. Apricots were in full bloom, sweet cherry bloom was underway, and tart cherries were just beginning to show blooms. Ranges and pastures were growing slowly and needed rain. 896-649- code insurance companies, and when the funds arrive, they spend them on something else, rather than pay on theiraccount. Under the new policy, business office personnel will verify insurance at the time of admission, and will bill the insurance company for the patient, asking the patient to Peterson - 528-756- 9 endorse an assignment of payment to the hospital. Also under the new collection policy, business office ohn Walser family of West vaiiey Kenneth and Lola Peterson and personnel will determine insurance so visited the Walser home a day co payments and deductibles at the family spent last weekend in St. time of admission, and will ask for George. LolassistcrVickihasanew jtstweek. Five Mayfield girls belonging deposits at the time of admission-tfbabV boV.BrdndOfp'Tbitt MiCketSbn, : &e Jb Madrigals singing group cover these deductibles. a brother, alsolives in St. George. Pat To California last week. Those 'ecd was Grove of Pleasant from Mayfield were Ginger going with Vicki in St. also George helping the new baby. They had a good Adair, Mary Becbout, Janalee Bartholomew, Marcy Peterson, and family get together. Vivian Whitlock. They sang in Los Jean Peterson and daughter They visited Disney Land CanAngeles. Melody left last Saturday for Livestock were mostly good scenic locations on their and other Lund Melissa and yon, Texas. Steve with a few major death losses revacation. They returned late five and day Texas moved to Canyon, just ported. Calving was 74 percent have a new baby girl bom April 16. Sunday evening. complete; farm flock lambing 87 The Petersons stayed in TExas a Visitors on Friday at the hojme percent complete; and range flock week helping with the new baby and of Daniel and Ruth Good were Scott lambing 40 percent complete. helping the Lunds get mqved in. and Lindy Workman and children Seventy nine percent of the Steve and Melissa have another boy Lee and Rene from California. farm flocks and 51 percent of the Chans. Steve has a new job with Thursday night the Workmans were range flocks had been shorn. Mesa Oil of Amarillo. house guests at the home of Alva and Major farm activities included The DAvid and Cathy Walser Virgie Sorenson in Salina. Daniel seeding grain, spring land preparafamily from Scotsdale, Arizona are and Ruth were invited as dinner tion, fertilizer application, spraying in Mayfield visiting with parents guests. Scottis the grandsonof Mary weeds, pruning and spraying orKenneth and Suzie Walser. They Carpenter who is Ruth and Virgies chards, cleaning irrigation ditches, have a 2 week vacation due as David sister. They havent seen Scott for hauling manure, calving, lambing is a Tax Specialist in Arizona. The 15 years and their first acquaints and shearing. with Linday, Lee and Rene. Mayfield News and Scotch Pine are available in containers. Technical assistance in plansite preparation, species selecning, tion and care of plantings is also av ailablc any Division of State Lands and Forestry Office. Locally, the tree and shrub seedlings will be available for purchase by the public in Delta at the City BUilding on April 29; Richfield, 1 30 North Main, May 5; and at Manti at the Courthouse, May 6. This will be the last opportunity to purchase tree and shrub seedlings from the State operated nurscr this spring. Since these arc conservation seedlings, homeowners should visit their local retail nursery to meet their ornamental plant material needs. For more information call your State Lands and Forestry office in Richfield, New area ' The board and administration express appreciation for the support and cooperation they have received from the medical staff and employees during the transition period. They report that hospital volare umes up, and that cash flows are improving. plants is somewhat 2-- 0, 0. dressing Utility 43.00-47.0Slaughter Bulls: Yield Grade indi1 1220-192- 0 lbs 62.00-67.0vidual high dressing 2.540 lb Char-loi- s bull 71.80. Yield Grade 2 and bulls for further feeding 1365-176- 0 lbs 55.00-60.00. 0, 0. SEE AT THE SALINA SUN 60 East Main - Salina - 529-783- 9 2 mw |