Big profits continue for Polk Medical Center
Flu season hasn’t been as bad as in previous years at Polk Medical Center according to administrator Matt Gorman, showing a decrease to start the year in patient volume.
Gorman said January’s figures for hospital use were slightly down from the previous year, which he said was mainly due to a decrease in seasonal flu activity.
“The story for the end of the year was positive overall for the months of November and December,” Gorman said.
He announced during the Cedartown- Polk County Hospital Authority meeting last week that patient figures were greater than expected for the last two months of year, but took a slight slide when January came.
Figures however were not yet available for end of the month comparisons over the past three months, since the meeting took place before the end of January.
Overall, the emergency room took in more than 2,000 patients in November, and more than 2,300 patients in December 2015.
The number of surgeries for 2015 totaled out at 104 patients being treated for the calendar year, following 10 patients having procedures in November and 9 in December in the operating room.
Along with the increase in procedures came an increase on the balance sheet this previous month.
Figures presented to the board last week showed a 253 percent increase in profit compared to budgeted projections at the start of the 2015-16 fiscal year in July of last year.
Polk Medical Center brought in $13,266,705 in income as of Dec. 31, 2015 and used $11,182,953 in spending, which amounted to $2 million in profit to end the calendar year.
Halfway through the fiscal year, the budget income and costs were expected to be much lower, with only $41.5 million in gross revenue called for on the books, but the hospital brought in a total of $49.4 million in gross revenue since July 2015.
Even with the deductions from revenue and provisions for bad debt, that left the hospital with total revenue of
more than $13 million for the year, some $3 million over the expected budget at a rate of 29 percent.
Operating expenses came in higher than predicted by accountants – 15.75 percent overall – but the $1.4 million left over in excess of revenue over expenses left the hospital board with smiles following the report from Clarice Cable, director of accounting for Floyd Medical Center.
Harold Wyatt, board chair for the hospital authority, said following the report that seeing a profit was good news compared to how some other rural hospitals are doing in Georgia.
“Those are remarkable numbers and it shows what a great job that everyone is doing at Polk Medical Center,” he said.
Wyatt pointed toward the news of Washington County Regional Medical Center’s woes and possible closing after struggling to regain a financial footing, as reported in the Atlanta Journal Constitution last week.
“Every few months you hear about another rural hospital about to close, and with ours we’re operating above our budget,” he said.
Fixing shower stalls
Gorman made clear that work continues to make improvements at Polk Medical Center during the board meeting on Jan. 27, even in the small areas.
He said nurses found that patients staying in private rooms at the facility were sometimes struggling in the showers to keep their footing.
So, Gorman called the contractors to come in and do something to fix the slippery surfaces.
“This is one of the positives of being at less than 25 patients for the time being,” Gorman said. “We’ve worked with the installer to install non-slick covering on the shower pans to ensure the safety of our patients.”
Fixes were being completed over the last weeks of January while the patient census was down, allowing moves from one room to the next while work was done, Gorman said.
Lighting solutions
One area of improvement Polk County residents on their way to the hospital will appreciate is the addition of another light to help make the hospital entrance easier to see at night.
Gorman reported that work has been ongoing with Georgia Power to find a solution, and with a nod from the board got permission to pursue the installation of an additional light along the roadway.
The only cost will be for powering the light and rental from Georgia Power, who will place it on the pole at Fun Wheels Skating Center on Highway 278, across from the hospital’s entrance to driver heading west on Grady Road.
He said it was the most reasonable step to take without having to negotiate with the Georgia Department of Transportation for permission to have an easement for installation of additional lighting at this time.
“It will also prevent Georgia Power from having to move any poles,” he said. “We’re confident this will solve the problem of keeping a light on that portion of the roadway so people can find the hospital entrance easier at night.”
Focus on anesthesia services
As Polk Medical Center continues to show small increases in the number of surgical patients, so too is the need for someone who can handle anesthesia services.
Dr. Joe Biuso told the board as surgical services continue to grow at Polk Medical Center, so does the need to have qualified staff on hand to ensure they’re getting the right medicine during those procedures.
Ethan Hix, a nurse anesthetist, was among those who were appointed to the hospital by the board during last week’s session.
Re-appointments for credentials to serve at Polk Medical Center included Dr. Stanley Musick, Dr. Alison Mercurius, Dr. Daniela Rusu and Dr. Amanda Knaak were approved as well by the board.
Dr. Biuso said the hospital continues to seek physicians who want to practice primary care, as well as those who want to seek timeshare space in the hospital’s medical office space.