Haxtun Health awarded CORH for second year

Department heads gave reports on a number of topics in a Haxtun Health Board of Directors meeting on Monday night, Oct. 24. Topics include emergency preparedness training, CORH resources, infrastructure project updates along with notice of staffing changes. Chief Executive Officer Dewane Pace also provided detailed information on morning safety huddles held every Monday and Friday with the administrative team.

Pace told board members that Haxtun Health has been awarded a second year of consultative services and resources with The Center of Optimizing Rural Health from the Texas A&M Rural and Community Health Institute. Board members present at the meeting include Chairman Kent Bamford, Vice Chairman Rod Salvador, via phone, and members Jeri Soens and Rebecca Ensminger.

Haxtun Health applied for and was awarded an additional year with CORH, which will provide an opportunity for access to a variety of technical assistance resources during the 2022-23 program year via webinars, ZOOM meetings, courses, Extension for Community Healthcare Outcome session, one-on-one consultations to address unique challenges and other resources available through CORH. All of this comes, Pace said, at no cost to Haxtun Health.

“This program proved to be very beneficial last year and we look forward to another year of having the CORH team and resources available to us,” said Pace.

Pace also provided information on Executive Assistant Rebecca Baier’s attendance of emergency preparedness training. He said Baier applied for and was awarded a training opportunity at the United States Department of Homeland Security — Federal Emergency Management Agency Center for Domestic Preparedness’ National Training Facility in Alabama.

Baier attended the two-week training to study healthcare emergency management, hospital incident command, emergency response leadership, conducting drills, disaster scenarios and, after a Capstone Project, will receive official certifications in all of these areas.

“This is the only official government training facility for this and for Haxtun to gain someone with this knowledge and certification is a real asset to our hospital and community,” Pace said.

There was no cost to Haxtun Health for the two-week training, Pace added, as all airfare, lodging, tuition and meals were covered by the award.

In her Chief Community Relations Officer Julia Biesemeier gave an update to the main campus infrastructure project. She said the roof is complete and was inspected with no deficiencies. There was minimal damage to the parking lot and Iconergy is expected to provide Haxtun Health with a financial stipend to assist in repairs.

Biesemeier also noted that there are two main outstanding issues that must be completed before the project can be closed out. Those include a mixing valve in the boiler room that might need to be re-engineered and replaced and a coil to the HVAC unit above that kitchen that may need to be added to help cool the space.

Dr. Ben Stephenson gave an update to providers in his report to the Board of Directors. He said Jess Bullard, FNP, submitted her resignation last month and her final day was Oct. 10. “We are working towards re-scheduling her current patients with our existing providers,” he said.

Stephenson said Reba Bean, PA, has started seeing patients in Fleming and taking weekend call.

“She is going to be a wonderful addition to our organization,” he said. “The medical staff is pleased to work with her and patient feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”

In his report, Stephenson also gave an update on COVID in Colorado and at Haxtun Health. He said State positivity rates are continuing to decline and the local healthcare facility is still giving the fourth booster vaccine which is targeted to the omicron variant.

“The CDC has changed its mask mandate guidelines for hospitals and we have adjusted our mask guidelines,” Stephenson added.

Chief Nursing Officer Leah White also touched on COVID numbers, noting that one staff member tested positive over the last month and that zero patients have been hospitalized at Haxtun Health in the last 30 days.

“No Extended Care Unit patients have tested positive for COVID so far in 2022,” White added.

White also gave numbers for the local ambulance service, noting the Haxtun Ambulance went on eight calls from Sept. 21 to Oct. 19. That number is down 21 from the month prior. She said five of the eight were 911 calls, one was an interfacility transfer and two were flight crew transports.

In her financial report to board members at the beginning of the meeting, Chief Financial Officer Joleen Stroyek said the acute care unit average daily census was .6 for the month and the ADC for swing bed was 2.4. Both of those numbers are under budget. The ECU had an average daily census of 18, also under budget.

“The total operating expenses were 12 percent under budget,” her report states. “Year to date gross patient revenue as of Sept. 30 was $12,625,867 or 10 percent under budget. Year to date net income is $1,400,843.”

At the end of his information to the Board, Pace included notes highlighting morning safety huddles held with department heads and the administrative team twice a week. He said these meetings are held to disseminate information, identify impediments to safety, highlight and promote quick decision-making, eliminate other meetings, improve the team’s level of knowledge and improve communication.

“Safety Huddles are a communication tool for improving patient safety and saves time by rapidly circulating information faster than waiting for a formally structured meeting,” Pace said.