SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon
Wednesday, January 30,2013
Lady Cards ground MCHD CEO RESIGNS
20 percent ($50,996) due
The board unanimously
at
the
kick-off
of
new
sys
accepted
Healthland’s pro
familiar
with
the
area
and
Hawks
especially unfamiliar with a tem modules; 15 percent posal without obtaining
-Continued from PAGE ONE
is $234,900, fo ra $39,150
average monthly year-to-
date gain.
($38,247) due at go live of additional bids because
-received a reminder
“Centriq Financials” or 18 they had chosen Healthland from Mills that the Irrigon
months from execution of for the initial phase, the ambulance is up for re
the purchase agreement; systems would be compat placement in the district’s
15 percent ($38,247) due at ible and the costs would be scheduled rotation. Blauer
go live of Centriq Clinic or much less.
noted that the district has
18 months from execution
Prior to the meeting, several large financial obli
of the purchase agreement; Blauer led the board in a gations, one of those being
and travel expenses to be tour of the remodel to the to Healthland, but Mills
Irrigon M edical Clinic. voiced concern that the
paid as invoiced.
The financial migra He said that the contrac district would fall too far
tion initial phase will start tor expects completion of out of rotation. Mills said
in N ovem ber/D ecem ber the work around April 7, that the rotation for the Ir
of this year with the new later than the district had rigon ambulance is around
financial system to go live hoped. Mills said that he 12 years out, with the goal
by Feb. 14 o f next year. would like to get remodel of replacement around 10
Initial implementation and change orders and other years and cautioned that
training is to start the end of details worked out prior to if the purchases were not
made in a timely fashion,
the first quarter 2014, with Blauer’s departure.
In other business, the the district may be forced to
the clinic system to go live
board:
July 2014.'
purchase two ambulances at
-heard from Mills con the same time.
Phase 1 o f the switch
to e le c tro n ic re c o rd s, cerning the district’s pos
-received the follow
which has been completed, sible bid for a new local ing report for December:
cost $551,389, o f which option tax for the district, Pioneer Memorial Hospital
$448,874 was reimbursed which would be on the had 11 adm issions, two
by Medicare and $125,036 ballot this fall, if the board swing bed admissions, nine
reimbursed by Medicaid. approves. Mills asked the admitted for observation,
The hospital Medicaid re board to consider whether one admitted for hospital
imbursement o f $125,000 they would like to put an respite, 425 total outpa
is still pending. Blauer said other levy before the vot tients, 75 total emergency
that the district got a big ers, as the current one is room encounters, 1,401 lab
discount on the hospital’s set to expire, and if so, for tests, 141 x-ray procedures,
system by being one of the how much. The past two 35 CT scans, 29 EKG tests,
front-runners in changing local option levies passed one treadmill procedure,
over to electronic m edi by Morrow County voters five colonoscopy proce
cal records; however, the have been vital to the sur dures, one endoscopy pro
discount came with a lot of vival of the district.
cedure, one colon/endos-
headaches and glitches. The
-lea rn ed th at three copy procedure, 86 respi
district opted to implement board positions are up for ratory therapy procedures;
the second phase o f the election, positions currently Pioneer Memorial Clinic
switch after the system has held by Joe Perry, John had 394 patient visits with
been tested and many of Murray and Leann Rea. 31 new patients, 35 seen by
problems already worked The numbered positions are a nurse and 12 no-shows;
out.
elected at large.
Irrigon Medical Clinic had
Phase 2 of the process,
-learned that the district 141 patient visits, 17 new
involving the clinics, will lost $8,193 in December patients, 39 seen by a nurse
cost $309,979, o f which with $634,199 in gross and nine no-shows; Hepp
$191,250 is expected to be patient revenue, $11,169 ner Ambulance had 22 total
reimbursed by Medicaid.
in bad debts, $103,383 page-outs with 20 trans
The combined reim for contractual and other ports for $22,669 in ambu
bursements leave the dis adjustments for a total of lance revenue; Boardman
trict $28,792 in the black, $114,553 in revenue deduc Ambulance had 46 page
w hich w ill m ost likely tions for $519,646 in net outs with 21 transports for
to be used for additional patient revenue. $116,118 $26,830 in revenue; Irrigon
expenses incurred in the in tax revenue and $52,132 Ambulance had 22 page
changeover.
in other operating revenue outs with 17 transports for .
“I doft’t think w e’re for $687,896 in total op $19,555 in revenue; Home
going to get a better deal,” erating revenue, compared Health had 74 patient visits;
commented Blauer.
to $711,752 in operating Hospice had two admis
Mills concurred, say expenses and a $15,661 sions; pharmacy had 1,095
ing, “I think we should non-operating gain.
drug doses for $58,821 in
move forward.”
The year-to-date gain drug revenue.
small rural Eastern Oregon
location and hospital. Mills
and the board also stressed
the importance of the candi
date’s spouse’s willingness
to relocate to the area.
The board decided
against hiring a recruiter
because o f the costs in
volved. C hief Financial
Officer Nicole Mahoney
estimated that a recruiter
would charge 33 percent of
the administrator’s salary,
plus expenses, which would
probably be in the $40,000
range.
“1 would not be in favor
of that because the (MCHD)
staff does a lot of their work
for them and they (the re
cruiter) end up getting paid
for it,” said Mahoney.
The board set an appli
cation deadline of March 1.
A search committee will be
appointed at the February'
board meeting. The board
initially intends to inter
view several candidates by
phone or Skype, narrow the
field and then bring selected
candidates in for a personal
interview.
Also at the meeting,
Blauer outlined the district’s
next electronic medical re
cords phase, which will cost
around $309,979. O f that
amount, changing the dis
trict’s financial system from
paper to electronic records
(financial migration) would
cost $100,899, and chang
ing the clinic system would
cost $154,080. Additional
costs would include esti
mated travel and training
costs for Healthland staff,
which is capped at $40,000;
estimated costs for new
hardware would be around
$15,000.
Healthland, which pro
vided the electronic sys
tem the district currently
employs, offered the fol
lowing payment terms: 30
percent ($76,494) due at the
execution of the purchase
agreem ent; 20 percent
($50,996) due at the kick
Cardinal basketball went head-to-head against Horizon
off of the migration project;
Christian in league play on Jan. 25. The Lady Cards won their
contest 58-27, but the boys suffered a crushing 54-92 loss to
the Hawks. Top: lone Senior Stacie Halvorsen lays one in for
the Lady Cards. Bottom: Cardinal Senior Even Kictmann
battles hard against the Hawks in an ultimate 54-92 loss to the
The U.S. Department clical Payment Program
visiting team. - Photos by Paula Emmel/See more photos on the
of
Agriculture’s
Farm Ser (DCP), the Average Crop
Gazette-Times Face book page
vice Agency (FSA) reminds Revenue Election Program
producers that the American (ACRE), and the Milk In
Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 come Loss Contract Pro
extended the authorization gram (MILC).
of the Food, Conservation,
FSA is preparing the
and Energy Act o f2008 (the following actions:
2008 Farm Bill) for many
-FSA will begin sign
Commodity Credit Corpo ups for DCP and ACRE for
ration (CCC) commodity, the 2013 crops on Feb. 19.
disaster, and conservation The DCP sign-up period
programs through 2013. will end on Aug. 2; the
FSA administers these pro ACRE sign-up period will
grams.
end on June 3.
The extended programs
-The 2013 DCP and
include, among others: the ACRE program provi-
Direct and Counter-Cy
FSA announces program updates
Pee-Wee Cardinals
strut stuff on court
sions are unchanged from
2012, except that all eli
gible participants in 2013
may choose to enroll in
either DCP or ACRE for the
2013 crop year. This means
that eligible producers who
were enrolled in ACRE in
2012 may elect to enroll
in DCP in 2013 or may
re-enroll in ACRE in 2013
(and vice versa).
-All dairy producers’
MILC contracts are auto
matically extended to Sept.
30, 2013. Eligible produc
ers therefore do not need to
re-enroll in MILC. Specific
details regarding certain
modifications to MILC will
be released soon.
FSA will provide pro
ducers with information
on program requirements,
updates and signups as the
information becomes avail
able. Any additional details
will be posted on FSA’s
website.
For more information
about the programs and
loans administered by FSA,
visit any FSA county office
or www.fsa.usda.gov.
lone junior varsity
Top: Mason Orem controls the ball during the Cardinals Pee-
Wee game last Friday. Bottom: The Cardinal Cheer Squad
cheers on their lone teams during Friday’s match-up with
Horizon Christian. - Photos by Paula Emmel
Pep band shows spirit
The Cardinal Pep Band was out in force on Friday, boosting
team spirits regardless of game outcomes. Photo by Paula
Emmel
Above Left: Jordan Synder during the JV game against the Horizon Christian Hawks. Above Right: Junior Zane King during
the JV game last Friday. -Photos by Paula Emmel