Reports Given to HCHD

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

HOUSTON COUNTY – The Houston County Hospital District Board of Directors met in a relatively short meeting on Tuesday, April 19.

Following the approval of minutes from the March 15 meeting, along with the HCHD’s March financial report, accountant Dick Murchison provided an update on the election scheduled for May 7. 

“The scheduled election is for May 7. Of course, you’re not having an election and the first regular meeting after May 7, you will install the board members who were unopposed,” Murchison said.

HCHD President Barbara Crowson added, “We can do the installation and reorganization of the board in our regular meeting. We don’t have to do it right away. Our May meeting will be the reorganization of the board, appointing committees and so on.”

Following the election update, Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Anthony Cumbie provided the board with a report on the hospital.

He reported there were 756 visits to the Emergency Room in March, 740 in February, 845 in January and 814 in December of 2021.

Emergency Department transfers for the month of March stood at 73, while there were 60 in February, 56 in January and 65 in December of 2021. 

The CNO said there were 13 inpatient admissions for the month of March, while there were 15 in February, 35 in January and 31 in December of 2021.

Observation admissions for March showed a total of 15 while there were 14 in February, 3 in January and eight in December of 2021.

Surgical cases in March came in at 42 while there were 28 in February, 36 in January and 55 in December of 2021.

Cumbie went on to say there were 220 specialty clinic visits in March while there were 207 in February, 200 in January and 216 in December of 2021.

Rural health clinic visits in March came in at 202 while there were 151 in February, 200 in January and 192 in December of 2021.

He added the total charity write offs for the first quarter of 2022 were approximately $800,000.

At the conclusion of Cumbie’s report, Cassie Gallaway, Operation Supervisor at Houston County EMS, provided the ambulance report.

Gallaway reported for the month of March there were 261 calls for service with 165 transports. The air ambulance was requested 31 times with seven patients transported by air.

She added 82 percent of patients transported were taken to Crockett Medical Center; eight percent were taken to Palestine Regional; five percent were taken to Woodland Heights; four percent were taken to Huntsville and one percent were taken to CHI Lufkin.

As the meeting continued, Dina Pipes reported the insulation matter at the ambulance facility discussed last month had been rectified and insulation had been blown into the facility.

Crowson also reported the records management committee had recently met and had been provided a place in the hospital where records could be stored once they were removed from Murchison’s office.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].

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