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Show First yearatVVMC Sees deficit eliminated As his first year at the Valley View Medical Center comes to a close, Administrator Ad-ministrator Reginald L. Hughes says he has never had a job he enjoys more, besides having seen an enormous deficit at the hospital eliminated. "This is the finest area I've ever lived in," Hughes said, after apologizing for sounding "polyanna-like". "polyanna-like". "We have the finest school system I've ever seen and the finest people I've known." The 32-year old Hughes said he is particularly proud of some of the accomplishments ac-complishments of the hospital staff. "For one thing,"1 he explained, "we recently received a full two-year accreditation ac-creditation from the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Hospitals thanks to of the hospital. All the nurses stations are in the wrong locations; the (laboratory areas) are in the wrong locations. The question is: can we better locate them?'.' Hughes said. Twelve hundred square feet of floor space is presently being used per bed, Hughes said, where 800 per bed is ideal. He said one wing of the hospital is closed at this time, an area that may be used in the future as a "physicians office complex." He said if IHC planners recommend the clinic to be constructed at the hospital, the complex would consist of both specialists and family practitioners. prac-titioners. A former administrator in Alaska and Wyoming, Hughes said the hospital would like to build traffic into the hospital by adding specialists, such as an orthopod and a urologist to the staff. He said a search was unable to find a specialist that would come right away and contract negotiations with Iron County also halted the "talent find." But regardless of the building, Hughes said, "the employees of the hospital are the most decent, hardworking, hard-working, honest people I've ever worked with." He also said the local governing board is the finest he has had associations with. "They are very concerned and very interested in the hospital," he added. (continued on page 3 ) tr' I 4.. SaP ip; ' . '! LifijO J ; . A f ' ' .-.v - 1 v A t ' - 1 I all the employees and medical staff working together to bring us into compliance." And after seven years of "running in the red,"this year finds the hospital with $30,000 in the black. 'it's not a fat margin," Hughes said, "but it is something." The administrator said the hospital was able to balance the budget due to "a whole lot of little things," plus quantity purchase discounts and a captive insurance program available as a Intermountain Health Care Inc-chain Inc-chain hospital. But Hughes said he is still "disappointed" "disap-pointed" with the physical plant of the hospital. Hughes described the physical problems of the hospital building as "overwhelming," and said the hospital has twice as much floor space as is needed. "A hospital is susceptible to financial disaster any time the fixed costs are high due to empty space," Hughes explained. "We haven't really improved im-proved it yet. we are still planning." A design and construction specialist from IHC has made general observations ob-servations of the hospital, Hughes said, and a hospital architect from IHC's planning office is due to make an in-depth in-depth study. "It is hoped to find ways of more efficiently locating the operating areas ONE YEAR.One year has pasted since Reginald Hughes took over as administrator ad-ministrator of the Valley View Medical Center. He lauds the staff and the budget balancing. Hospital (continued from page 1) j Another highlight of the past year, J Hughes said, was the new by-laws and I regulations passed by the medical staff. He said the rules contained review mechanisms which were geared to produce quality. "It also pleases me that in this year's annual auxiliary banquet, the current active cummulative time totaled over 7,000 hours," Hughes said. "If we were to pay minimum wage, that's over $20,000." Presently Bishop of the Parowan Third Ward and father of five, Hughes also lauds the lease agreement entered into with IHC and the corporation's hand in the progression of the hospital. He said criticisms of IHC's approach to health care are unfounded. I "IHC's business-like approach always has the same goal-good patient ) care," Hughes said. "And good patient ( care can only happen when you have the finances to operate a hospital. Operating in the red year after year will inevitably bring a disservice to your patients." He said IHC is a "decentralized organization," and said the corporation emphasizes local boards will be responsible for most of the major decisions concerning the hospital. a ') . V'lHC is a good company, this is a , good community and I've never en- 1 joyed a' job more,"' Hughes added. |