The Greenwood County Hospital (GWCH) Board of Trustees met on Aug. 28. In her CEO report, Sandra Dickerson informed the board that GWCH had not been awarded the Patterson Family Foundation grant for the purchase of a new mammography machine. There had been over 800 applicants for the grant. Dickerson proposed that GWCH go ahead with purchasing the new equipment through a leasing option instead. “We see this as a huge need for our community and patients,” said Dickerson. Currently, patients are facing up to a six-month wait for mammography appointments, which is causing many of them to go elsewhere for the service, she said. “In preparation for obtaining the equipment, we are starting to get a staff member trained,” Dickerson told the board. Radiologic technologist Hailey Broyles is in training now, she said. The board approved moving forward with the lease, which is expected to total $335,000 for a five-year agreement with monthly payments of $8,706.85 and will include a service contract for the full duration.
Another need Dickerson reported is a new sonography machine. A sonography or ultrasound machine is used to create detailed, real-time images of internal body structures using high-frequency sound waves rather than radiation. This technology is required almost daily at GWCH. According to Dickerson, the cost of the equipment is expected to be around $65,000. Dickerson requested to use funds in the board account to purchase the equipment outright rather than using a lease deal. The board approved the request.
Dickerson further stated that Trane and Energy Tax Savers have submitted documents for the tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. The amount of the credit is $336,372.00. Dickerson told the board that there had been some reduction to the amount of the credit due in part to having not received the “Domestic Content Bonus,” which would have provided an additional tax credit for the HVAC project completed in 2024 if products used in the project were substantially made from steel or iron manufactured or produced in the US and the net output from the thermal energy tanks was less than 1 megawatt. The project did not meet those specifications.
Finally, Dickerson told the board that $180,000 had been used for two very large claims payments for the hospital’s health insurance plan that came through in the last two weeks.
“When we had the switchover from BMI to Auxiant back in August/September of last year, there were a lot of claims that fell through the cracks. Those claims have been identified and pushed back through the system now, resulting in large claim volumes for payment,” she said. Dickerson added, GWCH should expect more large payment cycles over the next month.
A draft of the 2024 audit report was presented by Matt Morris of Forvis, who highlighted items such as the hospital’s Net Patient Service Revenue, $14,629,000, up about 1.6 million from the previous year. Primarily, said Morris, due to an increase in wound care services, pharmacy, and outpatient prescriptions covered by the 340B drug pricing program. The 340B program allows hospitals and healthcare organizations to purchase outpatient drugs at discounted prices, enabling them to stretch limited resources and serve more patients. According to Morris, in 2024 the net benefit of the program was about $900,000.
Morris also discussed Medicare and Medicaid, saying that 69% of the hospital’s revenue comes from a combination of the two programs, up about 4% from 2023. Morris added that the hospital’s operating loss went down from $1,540,000 to $995,000, which is a very positive change. “I think Greenwood County Hospital is in a much better financial position now than it was five years ago,” he said.
CFO Melody York gave financial reports for the months of June and July, comparing each month with the same month in 2024. York presented a balance sheet for each of the two
months, highlighting assets, liabilities, and fund balances. The board also reviewed a statement of profit and loss for each month. York reported that the total assets for the month of June were $12,594,032.50 and in July, $12,608,838.93; both months are up from the previous year. York also praised the 340B program, saying that the total net income for the program in June was $295,000 and continues to rise each month.
The medical staff met on Tuesday, Aug. 19. Dr. Mike McClintick presented an educational video, and Pharmacist Isaac Boone proposed a change in stroke medication used by GWCH to one that is more universally used and also a change to morphine dosing, making it smaller with less risk for medication errors. The med staff also heard two policy updates, both aimed at getting GWCH on par with other guidelines across the state. The board approved the appointment of Dr. John R. Whitehead, DO Family Medicine.
The board approved the consent agenda, including the minutes of the July 24 regular meeting, July disbursements and the treasurer’s report, payroll/benefits in the amount of $796,006.90, and accounts payable in the amount of $821,680.29.
The board also held an executive session to discuss risk management and quality. No action was taken.
The next GWCH Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 25, at 5:30 p.m. in the Greenwood County Hospital conference room.
