The Greenwood County Hospital (GWCH) Board of Trustees met on Thursday, June 26.
In her CEO report, Sandra Dickerson updated the board, saying that GWCH is four weeks into the new Electronic Health Record (EHR) system as well as online with the new accounting software and payroll system. Dickerson said that overall things are going well and any issues that have come up are being corrected.
The hospital will be offering a self-defense class to any female employees that are interested. This is in response to the recent attacks that have occurred in the Wichita downtown area. “We have many employees that travel for the job, and we want to make sure that they are safe no matter where they go,” said Dickinson. GWCH intends to cover the cost of training for employees. Employee’s family members can also participate in the class at the cost of $35 per person. The date of the self-defense class is to be determined.
Dickerson gave a brief update on the latest developments in Washington DC regarding the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that is under consideration in the US Senate. Dickerson told the board that the Kansas Hospital Association (KHA) has met with Senator Jerry Moran and the office of Senator Roger Marshall to share concerns around the provider tax and state-directed payment provisions. She explained that the bill’s current language could be detrimental to Kansas hospitals in regard to the financial benefits of the Medicare program for non-expansion states, like Kansas. KHA hopes that by working closely with Senator Moran, necessary changes might be made to protect Kansas hospitals, Dickinson said. Non-expansion states are those that have not adopted the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Finally, Dickerson shared that she was nominated for and elected to the KHA hospital board of directors. Her appointment will last until Dec. 31, 2026. Dickerson currently serves on the KHA Workers Compensation board as well as the Health Works board and several committees.
“Serving on these committees and boards enhances my position here by providing me an opportunity to be a part of solutions and decisions that affect hospitals in Kansas,” she said.
The board approved a financial report presented by CFO Melody Curnutt. Curnutt shared information regarding increases and decreases in revenues and expenses, saying that nothing notable had occurred in May. Some fluctuations in these areas had been anticipated due to the new EHR system coming online, training, and contract services. She ended the report with a statement of cash flows saying that GWCH started the month at $1.9 million and ended higher at $2,125,037.
The proposed budget for 2026 was reviewed and approved. Curnutt first described the process of analysis used to arrive at the numbers she reported. Income and expenses over the last 13 months are reviewed for each department, and specific expenses are discussed with department directors before finalizing the budget, she said. Outpatient revenue has increased significantly due to the addition of the pain clinic, said Curnutt. Also, income from the 340B pharmacy program has increased with the addition of Batson’s pharmacy in Howard. The 340B Drug Discount Program allows hospitals and healthcare organizations to purchase outpatient drugs at discounted prices, enabling them to stretch limited resources and serve more patients. Additional increases related to salary for new providers, medical supplies, and contractual services are expected for the year. Curnutt reported that her estimate for net income for 2026 will be $369,392. Dickinson noted that this budget report is being done early in the year due to an obligation to provide the report to the county for their budget. A revised budget report may be provided in September when clearer data for the year becomes available.
Medical staff met on June 17. Presenter Stephen Christian from Gentiva Hospice spoke to the staff about hospice services offered by Gentiva. The group was also presented with education about congestive heart failure, its outline, and its treatment during the meeting. In new business, the staff approved the appointment and reappointment of providers. Those providers appointed to Radiology Consulting were Kamran Ali, MD; Starla Segovia, MD; Amisha Khicha, MD; James Homan, MD; Michael Matchette, MD; Sunil Gujrathi, MD; and Debra Desilet-Dobbs, MD. Reappointments were Eric Flores, PA, Allied Health, and Shawn Raymond, APRN, Allied Health. The board of trustees approved the appointments and reappointments as stated.
An executive session to discuss non-elected personnel followed the board of trustees meeting. As a result, the board voted for an annual salary increase of $5,928.50 for CEO Sandra Dickinson.
The GWCH Board of Trustees meets monthly on the fourth Thursday of the month, with their next meeting slated for Thursday, July 24 at 5:30 p.m.
