OCR Text |
Show Hospital Raises Room Rates to $85 a Day As of April 1, 1976, room rates at Allen Memorial Hospital will raise from $65 per day to $80 per day, it was decided by the Hospital Board and Grand County Commission Commiss-ion last week in view of losses experienced in recent months. A $20,000 deficit was experienced by the hospital in November and December last year, and another $19,943 deficit accrued in January and February this year. The auditor's report for 1975 indicated that the hospital was experiencing a loss of $17 per patient per day during those months, and the firm Catton Stagg, Pacheco and Rock, Salt Lake City, recommended a raise of rates to $85 per day. This report also stated that the roblem was one of not having enough patients in the hospital to cover necessary expenses. Although nursing staff has been cut to the minimum, such services as laboratory, kitchen, kitch-en, housekeeping, central supply, medical records and office must still be provided. The move to raise rates was : postponed earlier in hopes that the number of patients would increase. The number of acute care patients in the hospital in February 1970 averaged 17.6 per day. During February this year, there was an average of 10.3 acute patients per day, accounting for the losses experienced. Because of this factor, $40,000 of the $45,000 budgeted budget-ed this year from Grand County for such losses has already been used. In addition, the board voted to raise emergency room rates to $10 per visit. It had previously been $5, the lowest in the state. Doctors are currently charging $12 per emergency room visit to patients. The project providing extended ex-tended care in the hospital with the government paying $20 per patient per day is being terminated March 31, with no further funding on the horizon. In light of this it was voted by the hospital board to retain these patients if beds cannot be found for them in licensed nursing homes, and if families can afford to pay $20 per day plus the cost of ancillary services. |