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Show Former Eurekan pinpoints age of historical photo On January 22, guests at the George sunshine. Everyone June and Coleen McNulty home enjoyed a lovely dinner at the in Eureka included Roy and Holiday Inn on Friday evening. Erma Jasperson, parents of After the retreat, "playtime" was Coleen, and her brother Randy enjoyed at Mesquite, .where it and wife Sandy and family from was like "old home week"..when Payson. they met up with some of the The group enjoyed a very Eureka golfers and other Eur-ekaunusual "picnic" in the back who were taking advantage yard, where fish was prepared on of a lovely weekend. the grill by Randy. The beautiful warm sunshine was indeed unThe first Social Security payusual for January, and the kids ment was made in 1937. enjoyed roasting marshmallows to finish up the dinner. Only the male cricket produces sound. ns the unidentified ladies might be Mrs. Nelson or Mrs. Bigler. She also reported that her friends in Washington were very impressed by the color Christmas issue of The Reporter this year . . . she said she loves showing what a small town newspaper can do. The historical society appreciates the information shared by readers about photos in their collection. It helps put the story in Yes, we know this picture of the Silver City Relief Society ran in the January 21 Issue of The Reporter, but we thought readers would like to know that Naomi (McNulty) Nakamitsu called from her home in Mt. Lake Terrace, Wash., with some questions and information on the picture. She noted that if the baby (in the right foreground) is indeed Fay Potts as reported, then the year would have to be 1924 or 1925. She said she wonders if Utah health data on "The 1992 Hospital Utilization Profile," the first major report by the Utah Health Data Committee, 'found that $1.3 billion was charged by Utah hospitals for in- patient hospital care in 1992. Childbirth was the most frequently treated condition and caesarian sections were the most frequently performed procedure. Fifty-tw- o percent of all patients were covered by a commercial insurance carrier. These and other data that measure access are presented to in inpatient care a 350-pag- e report. "The Health Data Committee encourages purchasers, policy makers and consumers to make health informed, care decisions by using the information in this and future, reports," said Denise Love, director of the Utah Department of health's Bureau of Health Data Analysis. The Utah Health Data Committee was established by statute in 1990 to "collect, analyze and disseminate health care data to improve the cost, quality and access to health care. The governor appoints the 11 -- members who represent health care providers, businesses and the public. The Utah Department of Health supports the committee with the Bureau of Health Data Analysis. cost-conscio- us State returns may now be filed electronically "Without any examination by For the first time, Utahns will file their 1993 state the IRS, the state figures will be able to returns electronically, refund according to the State Tax Com-- . mission. "The Tax Commission has authorized nine tax software packages to be used by professional preparers in this first year of operation," agency spokesperson Janice J. Perry said. "Those firms provide software to companies that do nearly 70 repercent of Utahs prepared turns." then be automatically transferred to the Tax Commission's computers," Perry said. By consolidating the processing of refund returns with the IRS, the Tax Commission hopes to save paper and administrative costs, and seeks to improve the accuracy of state returns. The benefit to taxpayers will be faster issuance of refunds. Electronic filing is available through tax preparers who have been tested and approved by the IRS. The State Tax Commission will provide a list of approved transmitters to help taxpayers use this new service. For information call (801) 8 or toll-fre- e "The electronic filing program is a joint effort with the Internal Revenue Service and transmitting returns electronically refund returns and assures error-fre- e rapid refunds," Perry said. Tax preparers will transmit a return to person's state tax refund Radio waves from space were the IRS computer simultaneously with the individuals federal tax first discovered by American Engineer Karl G. Jansky in 1931 . information. 530-484- 1 992 Joe and Grace Bernini spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday in St. George, where Joe participated in the Governor's Central Utah Private Industry Council Retreat. Of course, while Joe attended the meetings, Grace and spouses of the other board members enjoyed shopping and relaxing in the beautiful, warm St. Is it only the mouth and belly which are injured by hunger and thirst? Men's minds are also injured by them. Mencius hospital usage The committee has established condition causing a hospital discharge data base and a hospital financial performance data base. Future reports will expand into other areas of health care delivery, such as care. out-patie- nt Fifty-tw- o My specialty is being right when other people are wrong. George Bernard Shaw Utah hospitals, in- cluding nine psychiatric facilities, six specialty hospitals and one federal hospital, submitted patient discharge data in 1992. Discharge data mean the consolidated billing, medical and personal information describing a patient, the hospital services received and the charges billed for a single inpatient hospital stay. Based on patient discharge data, 211,347 hospitalizations were recorded in Utah's licensed hospitals in 1992. There were more than $1.3 billion in total hospital charges. From more than one million patient days, there was a statewide average length of stay of 5.3 days. About seven percent of the patients treated in Utah hospitals were from other states or countries. Fifty-tw- o percent were insured by a commercial insurance carrier. Medicare was the primary payer for 19 percent of the patients and Medicaid was the primary coverage for 16 percent. Self-pa- y and charity care accounted for just under three percent of hospital admissions in 1992. These numbers do not reflect the amount of bad debt and uncollectible accounts hospitals actually realized. Differences in the coding of uninsured or charity care may account for variance in the numbers between hospitals. Conditions treated most frequently in 1992 were those related to uncomplicated childbirth (24,904) discharges) and newborn care (26,706 discharges). The most common non-obstetri- cal hos- admitting doctor has privileges, for and insurance company contractuwhich 6,414 discharges were al arrangements. In addition, reported, with a statewide aver- these data cannot answer complex age charge of $8,710 per dis- clinical questions. charge. Hospitals varied in the "Despite these limitations," for Love said, "hospital discharge average amount charged to date reports serve as an important a from low of $384 psychoses a high of $14,206 and with an first step toward consumer particaverage length of stay ranging ipation in health care decisionfrom one to 61 days. making and containment of rising The four most frequently per- health care costs. In addition, formed procedures and the total trend data and utilization trends and average charges associated will provide important informawith these procedures were: tion about a communitys health cesarean status and promote understanding 5,107 discharges, $19.7 million of Utah's health care system. As total, $3,704 average; female and health care becomes more consumers will need gynecologic procedures, 4,926 riven, million to understand complex health total, discharges, $21.4 $4,284 average; back and neck care delivery issues and hospitals procedures, 3,312 discharges, will need to improve their rela$20.5 million total, $6,022 aver- tive performance using normaage; and major joint and limb tive, statewide data. Data are available in electronic $47.5 reattachments, 3,151, or hard copy format through the million total, $15,090 average. Reports using hospital dis- Office of health Data Analysis, charge data have limitations. Utah Department of Health (801) "The user must be aware of these in-pati- pital care were psychoses, section-uncomplic- ated, market-d- 538-704- before drawing conclusions based on these data," said Love. For instance, billed charges are only one indicator of hospital performance. The committee was unable to obtain data based on actual payment or hospital costs, which are more accurate measures of a hospitals financial performance. All patients, or insurance plans, do not pay the same amount for similar services and procedures, even though they may be billed the same amount. Most hospitals offer a variety of contracts. Many have discount arrangements based on volume. Also, the price of hospital services, while important, is not the only consideration in making inpatient hospital decisions. Other factors influence hospital services, such as the type of condition treated, the facility where the 8. Grief and loss therapy group Mountain View Hospital will soon begin the second in a series of grief and loss therapy groups. The group will be held at the hospital, beginning Wednesday, February 16, at 7 p.m. the group will run approximately six weeks, continuing on successive on-goi- ng for Wednesdays. the group are Jim Barker, clinical psychology intern, and Barry sts Drage, licensed clinical social worker. For further information or to register for the group, contact Mr. Barker or Mr. Drage at |