Hospital board to send proposal requests

Tuesday evening, the Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees approved sending out requests for proposals to five construction firms, in regard to the large renovation and expansion project. The firms selected are Sletten, Groathouse, Erdman, Sampson and Layton; Sletten and Groathouse are out of Cody, Sampson is out of Cheyenne, and Erdman and Layton are from out-of-state.

Two additional firms — Dick Anderson of Sheridan and FCI of Cheyenne — were not chosen.

The board also approved a five-year 340-B contract with SunRX. Hospital CEO Margie Molitor explained the contract allows for reduced pricing of medicine for patients. She added patients do not have to do anything special, as SunRX will work to set up contracts with pharmacies.

A five-year care guidelines contract was approved with Milliman, a case management firm which will help the hospital determine if admitted patients fall under Medicare criteria.

The board also approved a service and maintenance agreement regarding micro scan lab equipment. Chief Financial Offier Shelly Larson explained there was money already budgeted for the equipment purchase, expected to be $61,000, so there wasn’t necessarily action needed.

The actual cost of the equipment came in at $45,000, though Larson noted the maintenance contract is for five years. Under the contract, there is no cost to the hospital for the first year, with the equipment still under warranty, but it is $6,700 per year after that for a total $26,800. Larson further explained there is money budgeted for such contracts annually, and recommended paying for the agreement each year as doing other payment plans, such as monthly installments, could incur additional fees.

In other action, the board approved a certificate of incumbency. Larson explained the certificate states the persons listed on it do hold their specific offices; officers did sign the certificate. Those officers are Board Chair Bill Williams, Board Vice Chair Heath Overfield, Secretary/Treasurer Dan Herdt and Board Members Dave Koerwitz and Breez Daniels.

The certificate also acknowledges and certifies Molitor and Larson hold their offices, and they also signed the certificate.

Larson further explained the certificate is part of the application process for a USDA loan, and the signatures allow that process to move forward.

The board also approved the 2016 infection prevention annual report. According to the report, activities seen last year include: focus on working with various departments’ policies and procedures affecting infection prevention, to bring them up to date, overall facilities risk assessment and focus on prevention of infection by providing and maintaining a sanitary environment to avoid sources and transmission of infections and communicable diseases.

The report also shows there were only four hospital associated infections for 2016 — two for pneumonia in February, one for Clostridium difficile in November and one for pneumonia in December.

To help prevent C-diff patient antibiotics were adjusted. To help prevent pneumonia, patients are encouraged to increase ambulation, hand washing and promote elevation of the head of the bed or the use of a chair for all meals.

Throughout the year, there are various educational in-services held for staff, covering topics such as: surgical site infections, environmental an instrument cleaning, needle stick and sharp injury and infection control. There was also a hands-on skill fair, attended by nearly 100 employees.