Above left: Justin Mueller of Grand Marais is the Cook County North Shore Hospital board’s newest member. He was sworn in on December 15, 2011. Above right: Anna Sorenson of Grand Marais is now on contract part-time with Cook County North Shore Hospital as an occupational therapist. She is available to help with many kinds of physical needs related to functioning in daily life at home, school, or work.
Coming up with a hospital budget is a very tricky task. On the agenda of the North Shore Hospital board’s December 15, 2011 meeting was approval of a budget and levy amount for 2012. The meeting included a truth-in-taxation hearing, but no members of the public attended.
Hospital Administrator Kimber Wraalstad described to the board how the staff went through budget histories and evaluated statistics in order to make predictions as accurately as possible for next year’s budget. Expected to bring in increased revenue are swing bed, emergency room, physical therapy, radiology, and ambulance services, although projections remain conservative in some of those areas.
One department that has seen decreased volume is home health, and Wraalstad said, “we’re just not sure why.”
Medicarereimbursementisslatedfora2percent cut in 2013. Some of this, said John Strange, president of St. Luke’s Hospital (North Shore Hospital’s administrative partner), is to make up for a decision not to cut physician reimbursement by 27 percent as previously proposed. If physician reimbursement is cut too much, Strange said, doctors may start refusing to be Medicare providers.
The 2012 budget was set at $14,803,238. Staff health insurance premiums will be going down in 2012, but an extra $40,000 was put into the budget to account for rises in the cost of fuel. Money will be set aside for computer upgrades required by the federal government, which has incentives for implementing them and penalties for not implementing them but which does not cover the cost of implementation.
In the budget is a part-time front desk receptionist to work a 5:00-9:00 p.m. shift when the emergency room tends to get busy. Another new part-time position will be for a staff continuing education coordinator.
The projected deficit for 2012 was $841,366, but to offset this, the board voted on a 2012 levy of
$800,000, the same as this year’s levy. To make up for the expected loss of $41,366 still left, Wraalstad said, the hospital could delay some capital purchases and hiring or try to cut corners in other areas. They will work with the deficit as the year progresses, she said. Capital purchases requested include new nurse call systems in the hospital and care center ($72,500 in each location), a $60,000 portable x-ray machine, and refurbishing one of the ambulances at a cost of $100,000.
The facility had excess revenue of $9,202 as of the end of November, much better than the
$709,634 loss that had been projected. Controller
Yvonne Gennrich said expenses had been less than expected and revenue had been more than expected.
Days cash on hand as of November 30 were
210.1. The hospital’s accountants do not recommend any particular minimum, Gennrich said, but they recommend having as much on hand as possible. This will be needed for future capital improvements, she said.
The number of baby deliveries taking place annually at the hospital was 9, 7, 8, and 5 from 2007 to 2010, respectively, and was expected to be 15 for 2011. Occupational therapy services
Occupational therapist Anna Sorenson gave a presentation on her work. Sorenson, in private practice, was recently hired by the hospital on a part-time contract.
Sorenson said she works with clients on developing skills for everyday living and on adapting the environment to clients’ needs. She is currently working with outpatients, inpatients, and care center residents.
When asked to describe the difference between physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT), she said the two fields do overlap somewhat. Physical therapy, however, tends to focus on developing mobility through strengthening and conditioning, while occupational therapy focuses on activities needed to take care of oneself in daily life, to carry out tasks related to work or school, and to access leisure activities that are fulfilling and meaningful.
Administrator Wraalstad said the hospital could bill insurance companies for occupational services Sorenson provides to its patients, including outpatients. A doctor’s orders are needed to access insurance. Official coroner
Because of changes in legislative language, Dr. Sandra Stover is going to be on contract with Cook County as its officially designated coroner. A coroner is the person who designates the cause of death. Stover will perform more on-site evaluations than before and will be in an advisory role to the sheriff ’s office. The other doctors on staff will act as death investigators. Cases where autopsies are requested will be referred to medical examiners in St. Louis County, except for cases requiring forensic medical examiners, which will go to the Twin Cities. Stover will be receiving training on being a coroner. New ambulance service director
Steve DuChien was named ambulance director to replace Darrell Smith upon his retirement. DuChien has been a member of the Cook County ambulance crew for more than 25 years and has been actively involved in the Arrowhead EMS Association. This is a part-time position. New board member
At the November 17 meeting, the board passed a motion approving Justin Mueller of Grand Marais to fill Ann Rosenquist’s seat on the board. Rosenquist’s position was vacated when she moved out of the area, and the term will be up at the end of 2012.
Board members briefly outlined for Mueller the role of the hospital board. “The good news is you start to understand things after a few meetings,” said Tom Spence. “The bad new is, by that time, it’s changed!”
Miller has an associate’s degree in business and moved here in 2005 from Alaska where he had worked in the restaurant business. He and his wife have a baby and love living here, he said. “We plan on spending our lives here,” he said. “It sounds interesting and it sounds like a good chance to be part of the community.”
Mueller was sworn in at the December 15 meeting and began his duties.
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