Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, October 28, 2020 -- SEVEN
Kym Clift to replace Houser as CEO
Kym Clift
The Morrow Coun-
ty Health District Board,
meeting Monday, October
26, in Irrigon, approved a
$190,000 CEO employ-
ment contract for Kym Clift
to replace CEO Bob Houser
as Morrow County Health
District administrator start-
ing mid-December. Houser
plans to retire by the end of
the year.
Clift is currently em-
ployed with Good Samar-
itan as vice president of
operations at their Corvallis
campus. She is a fellow of
the Health Care Financial
Management Association,
a fellow of the American
College of Health Care
Executives, and a Certified
Health Care Financial Pro-
fessional.
Emily (Thompson) Jack
The board also ap-
proved a $40,000 sign-
ing bonus for Dr. Emi-
ly (Thompson) Jack with
$20,000 paid now and an-
other $20,000 at the start
of her employment as a
physician with MCHD.
Board Chair John Murray
said he suspected she had
already received employ-
ment offers from various
hospitals and wanted to
offer her incentives to work
in her hometown. Jack,
the daughter of Susan and
Brian Thompson, Heppner,
grew up in Heppner, grad-
uated from Heppner High
School and married a local
man, Keenan Jack. Murray
said Emily Jack currently
has about year and a half
of her residency left prior
to becoming a physician.
Murray commented the
board had indicated earlier
that they wanted to “grow
their own” and added, “And
now we have the chance.”
“I whole heartedly believe
this is a win-win for our
community,” said board
member Andrea Fletcher,
via Zoom, commenting to
the board that MCHD is in
a “health shortage area.” “It
costs less to offer an incen-
tive versus recruitment,”
added Chief Financial
Officer Nicole Mahoney,
who said physician recruit-
ment generally costs about
$30,000-$40,000.
Board member Aaron
Palmquist, Irrigon, said
after meeting with Jack,
“I can’t think of a better
investment.” Kris Jones,
MCHD primary care ser-
vices manager, added via
Zoom, “This is a local asset
we can’t afford to lose.”
Also at the meeting,
Houser told the board he
had met with Rusty Estes,
EMS director, and Jamie
Houck, chief nursing offi-
cer, regarding the “current
shortage of EMS person-
nel” which sometimes re-
sults in the district not being
able to transfer patients to
other facilities “at certain
times.” Houser reported
three people are enrolled
in the basic EMT course
and one in the advanced
course, all of which will end
the first part of December.
He said another individual
will also be testing with the
group for the basic EMT,
having taken the course
earlier.
Houser also said after
review of EMS regulations
as well as the Board of
Nursing regulations, RNs
are allowed “to do transfers
alone, depending on the
severity of the patient being
transferred.” “I believe this
course of action will get us
through until the time that
the four-five new EMTs join
our ranks,” Houser said,
adding, “Young people just
don’t volunteer anymore.”
In other business, the
board:
-approved extending
the contract with Dr. Betsy
Anderson for one year.
-learned Houser rec-
ommended the board de-
termine the need for re-
cruitment of an MD or
midlevel (nurse practitioner
or physician assistant) at
the Irrigon Medical Clinic,
due to David Collins, PA-C
leaving at the end of Janu-
ary. He said if the district
does not recruit an MD or
DO (doctor of osteopathy),
“at least one more mid-
level will be needed.” Dr.
Dan Hambleton indicated
he would like to work at
IMC one or two times a
week. However, Dr. Russ
Nichols pointed out that
Dr. Hambleton working in
Irrigon twice a week would
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basically “gut” the Pioneer
Memorial Clinic schedule
and “PMC would have to
recruit another mid-level to
have adequate coverage.”
The district’s contract with
Amanda Fabian, PA-C,
is up at the end of May
2021 at IMC and Houser
said, “It was unknown if
she will be renewing it at
this time.” According to
Houser, it may depend on
Fabian’s husband accepting
employment.
-learned from Houser
the following employees
are needed: an RN for Pi-
oneer Memorial Hospital,
an MA and clinic director
for Irrigon Medical Clinic.
He said an interview was
held the week of October
19 for an IT director and
recruitment for a Human
Resources assistant is un-
derway. He also noted with
the upcoming retirement of
Pennie Miller, the district
will advertise for a Central
Supply staff member.
-heard from Houser
Lauren Harris, consultant,
will be on site October
19-22, spending two days
each at Pioneer Memorial
Clinic and Irrigon Medical
Clinic, “reviewing process-
es, schedules, etc.” and will
present a written report on
her findings at the Novem-
ber meeting.
-learned from Houser
the business office, con-
sisting of Juli Kennedy,
director, Staci Wilson and
Dorothy Coffelt, has moved
downstairs at PMH and Ja-
mie Houck, CNO, and Min-
dy Smith, RN, have moved
upstairs, giving Houck and
Smith better access to the
staff, emergency room and
patients during the day.
-learned from Chief
Financial Officer Mahoney
the profit/loss statement
for September showed a
$45,027 loss for the month,
but a $113,244 gain for the
year, and a $37,748 average
monthly gain. Gross patient
revenue was $1,244,157 for
the month, with an $8,949
provision for bad debts and
$147,989 in contractual
and other adjustments for
$156,938 in total revenue
deductions, plus $185,460
in tax revenue and $35,027
in other operating revenue
for $1,307,706 in total oper-
ating revenue. Employees’
salaries and wages came to
$726,153, with employee
benefits and taxes coming
to $241,869, with supplies
and minor equipment the
next highest expenditure at
$151,136. Total operating
expenses were $1,397,648
with a non-operating gain
of $44,915.
-received the following
reports: Pioneer memorial
Hospital had five admis-
sions in September, five
swing bed skilled admis-
sions, 14 admitted for ob-
servation, one admitted for
hospital respite, one swing
non-skilled admission, 679
total outpatients, with 81
emergency room encoun-
ters, 106 x-ray/ultrasound
tests, 33 CT scans, one MRI
scan, 40 EKG tests, three
lower endoscopy proce-
dures, 26 respiratory ther-
apy procedures.
-Home Health had 129
visits; Hospice had four
admissions and two deaths;
Pharmacy had 2,342 drug
doses for $98,734 in drug
revenue.
-Heppner Ambulance
had 29 page-outs with 21
transports for $32,932 in
revenue; Boardman Ambu-
lance had 39 page outs with
19 transports for $37,848
in revenue; Irrigon Ambu-
lance had 21 page-outs with
14 transports for $23,628
in revenue; Ione had two
page-outs with no trans-
ports. There were seven life
flights.
-Pioneer Memorial
Clinic in Heppner had 398
patient visits in Septem-
ber, with 13 new patients,
28 seen by a nurse, 21
no-shows and 37 cancel-
lations; Irrigon Clinic had
452 patient visits with 12
new patients, 176 seen by
a nurse and 66 no-shows;
Ione Clinic had 56 patient
visits, 13 seen by a nurse
and zero no-shows.
Schools to reopen
Wednesday
Due to Morrow Coun-
ty reporting less than 30
new COVID cases over
the past three weeks, and
only five cases last week,
Morrow County and Ione
schools will be able to open
using the metrics for low
population density coun-
ties. Schools will reopen
Wednesday, October 28 for
in-person learning.
Morrow County
schools reported that all
schools will be open, but
each school will have a
slightly different schedule
and offerings for their stu-
dents. Schools will open us-
ing the hybrid instructional
model and will work toward
transitioning students who
want to remain using vir-
tual learning to the online
program.
The Ione school re-
ported they will still need
to require masks and so-
cial distancing and will be
disinfecting the facilities
often as protocols require.
Elementary will attend
from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Monday through Thursday.
Secondary still remains
complicated with the re-
stricted number of people
in classrooms and the desire
to keep electives available.
Low population density
counties are counties with a
population density of less
than six people per square
mile as stated by the Oregon
Department of Education.
Guest Editorial
Do You Have Adequate
Cash Reserves?
By Greg Smith
I’m sure many have heard the phrase, “Cash is King.”
Having adequate savings not only pro-
tects a business from unexpected crises
like we have been experiencing for the
past several months but can reduce an
everyday emergency to an easily solvable
problem or mere inconvenience.
While the Covid-19 pandemic has
negatively affected many businesses, this Greg Smith
has not been the case for every owner.
Some of those we have surveyed report that sales are
similar to last year or even record breaking and a percent-
age of those are considering expanding their operations.
There are several reasons for this. Perhaps they were
able to quickly pivot as in the case of some restaurants
which rapidly expanded their take-out capabilities. Other
types of businesses shifted to online platforms to maintain
or increase sales. Some, like grocery stores, greenhouses
and hardware stores found themselves in the right business
at the right time, benefitting from high demand for their
goods and services despite the shutdown. Certainly, the
Paycheck Protection and Economic Injury Disaster Loan
Programs provided an important lifeline, as well. In most
cases, the number one reason businesses are weathering
and even thriving during this storm is because they saved
enough money to pay three to six months of their expenses
even though sales dwindled.
It is more important than ever that cash reserves be
established and replenished. To ensure adequate savings,
owners should consider it a fixed expense. The adage,
“Pay Yourself First,” comes into play. Money should be
placed in a separate account and a guide established to
address what constitutes an emergency specifying when
those funds are to be utilized. Savings should always be
replenished as quickly as possible to ensure adequate cash
is available to meet expenses.
Owners shouldn’t be discouraged when they realize
the large sum of money needed to have adequate savings.
Even a few hundred dollars saved monthly can add up in
a year and any amount saved is better than none.
Those businesses which have seen record sales need
to be cautious because as the economy returns to “nor-
mal,” sales may decrease to pre-Covid levels. Owners
should curtail spending, build up their reserves, and re-
visit their business plans monitoring cash flow and sales
projections.
Finally, entrepreneurs considering starting a business
should reflect on the types of businesses and industries
which have been successful and the likely reasons they
are rebounding during this crisis. Start-ups need to make
certain they are not undercapitalized and might consider
waiting for the economy to stabilize prior to launching
their business.
Greg Smith is the director of the Eastern Oregon
University Small Business Development Center located
at 1607 Gekeler Lane, Room 148 in La Grande, OR.
If you are seeking free, confidential business advising,
please call 541-962-1532 or email eousbdc@gmail.com.
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