Letter to the Editor: Quality Care

Posted

Dear Editor
It has been my privilege to serve on the Perry County Memorial Hospital Board of
Trustees for more than 20 years. During this time we have had four different hospital administrators all maintaining the same goal – to make PCMH the first choice of quality healthcare for our community. Over the last 19 years nearly $65 million was spent on capital expenditures including, but not limited to, the construction of the Dialysis center, improvements at Perry Co Estates, construction of new medical office buildings, PFCC West building purchase, renovation of surgery rooms, patient rooms and ER and much more. This was accomplished because of our committed and dedicated administrations, providers, staff and volunteers. How amazing is that when the hospital only receives approximately $375,000 in tax funds annually from the community? The same amount is provided to the library, to mental health, and the SB 40 board. Twice that amount is received by Perry County Health Department. The amount received by the hospital is less than 3% of the amount distributed in county tax funds to our public school system. My point is that the hospital is a business, a corporation that has had to do well over the years, on its own, in order to provide Perry County with the wonderful facility and awesome services and providers available to all of us. If it had not done well, the hospital might not be in operation. And, there is no debt.
In 2019, when up for re-election, I stated that I wanted PCMH to remain an independent hospital. That seemed feasible at the time but a number of factors have made the future of small, independent hospitals very challenging. Insurance companies as well as Medicare and Medicaid are constantly changing how doctors and hospitals will be paid. Mandated electronic medical records system alone is an expense of over $6 million. If you have experienced one of these systems at another hospital, you know how informative and beneficial it can be. Excitement is very high for this improvement for our hospital and providers, which will happen by the Mercy affiliation. The cost of hospital supplies and equipment have been hit hard by inflation, just as our own personal purchases have been. To have a larger system’s purchasing power will be a huge advantage in helping keep healthcare costs lower for the community. To see more of the benefits for the lease arrangement with Mercy, please see Patrick Naeger’s succinct letter to the editor in last week’s Republic-Monitor. It was spot-on. Our Critical Access Hospital is in a good place and that makes us a desirable partner.

Mercy was the organization with the experience of operating Critical Access Hospitals. And they offer so much for the future of our healthcare. The boards heard resoundingly from our doctors and other providers, who realize the difficulty of maintaining PCMH’s independence. Their choice was Mercy and that was the way of my vote. Enough cannot be said for the valuable staff, administration, doctors and other providers we are so fortunate to have in our community. They are the best! And I’ve been fortunate to serve with very caring and dedicated board members over the years. I hope that continues.

Beth A. Guth
PCMH Trustee
PCHS Board Member