The Box Butte General Hospital (BBGH) Board of Trustees meeting was called to order at noon Monday, July 31 in the Alliance Room at BBGH. The month’s agenda included a report on falls and workplace violence, MEDITECH billing, and the leadership retreat. The consent calendar, June financial report, and credentialing requests were all approved as presented.
Chief Quality Officer Mary Mockerman shared patient falls have decreased. A committee has been formed to develop new ways to prevent frequent falls. She stated, “Staff are taking quick action to reduce falls.” She also shared that violence in the workplace training has been taking place recently. A lack of reporting and a cumbersome reporting system are two factors that have contributed to violent acts going unreported. Mockerman added that this is a huge opportunity for the organization to improve on, and, “actions speak louder than words,” so a new reporting system will be implemented through MEDITECH.
Chief Financial Officer Michael O’Dell reported there have been some “bumps in the road” with the Accounts Receivable team, MEDITECH, and Inovolan when it comes to patient statements. He said, “Patients [seen May 1st or after] may receive two bills. [One statement is from the old Centriq system and one is from the new MEDITECH system, but both need paid.],” he said. “On the MEDITECH statements the insurance amount is not correct; however, the amount owed by the patient is correct. We’re working to amend this issue with MEDITECH, Inovolan, and our teams. But it’s important for patients to know that if their bill is delayed by a couple months, we will not be sending them to collections at this time.”
Organizational Development Director Brooke Shelmadine presented a short overview of the two-day retreat managers attended last week to encourage communication about BBGH’s culture of engagement and wellbeing. The retreat focused on making sure managers feel supported, are comfortable sharing feedback, and that patient safety systems are working well.
New BBGH employees include: Registration Clerks Elijah Cookston and Amy Smith, Lead Teacher Hillary Hunter, Staff Nurses Brittany Dietrich and Orfelinda Montemayor, Dialysis Manager Madison Snyder, Surgical Technologist Yolanda Fernandez, and Nurse Aide Krisie Adams. Also recognized was July Employee of the Month, Information Technology Manager Mandy Greve.
With no new business or executive session, the meeting adjourned at 1:18 p.m. The next BBGH Board meeting is Monday, August 28th at noon in the Alliance Room. The public is welcome to attend.