HCHC may benefit from large grant received by University of Iowa

By STEPH TAHTINEN

Mt. Pleasant News

A $7.7 million CMS Innovation Grant received by the University of Iowa may end up making use of Henry County Health Center, though the details are still minimal.

?Right now we cannot speak to what it entails (for HCHC),? said Robb Gardner, HCHC CEO. He explained to the board of trustees during their regular meeting on Tuesday that he had just received the information on Friday, so he did not have many details yet, but he wanted to mention the grant to the board in case they had heard about it.

The grant, awarded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is meant to provide financial resources to hospitals and other providers to deliver care in a different or innovative way. The University is looking to reduce costs in the state of Iowa by reducing readmissions, fragmentation and length of stay. The University will be using their network of critical access hospitals, and HCHC is one of the 11 hospitals in that network.

?I just want to remark that there is no official collaboration. What it is, it?s just about care coordination. It?s just about doing the right work between providers and care providers,? said Gardner. ?Right now we have not agreed that we?re going to be doing this, but they are going to be rolling it out to the different hospitals. They?ll be on-site to talk to us.?

Gardner noted that the work would mostly be clinical, so he and Chief Nursing Officer Jodi Geerts would be keeping the board informed in the future.

?It?s mostly on the University of Iowa?s end, but it is the right work because it?s our residents in Henry County,? said Gardner.

In other business, the board also heard an update on the facility building project from Project Manager Cragon Caboth.

The equipment for the new energy center has started to arrive. However, there has been a shift in the schedule, as the new generators are going to be late. The previous scheduled planned for a transfer of electric power to the new energy center on Aug. 12. However, on Friday that date was switched to Sept. 25, though Caboth noted that this date has already been improved on since Friday and continues to be improved on.

?It?s a minor bump,? commented Gardner, who noted that the slight delay should not affect the start of issuance three, which is the construction of a new surgical area.

Caboth and Gardner also noted that there have been adjustments made to the budget as sections have been reviewed and money has been shifted around.

?The total budget, overall budget, has not changed,? said Caboth.

The total budget is still $15.6 million; however, the numbers are more firm and streamlined, noted Gardner, and they are looking to not go over budget.

?That?s why we?ve looked at it in great detail over the last two weeks or three weeks, really trying to curb costs, which at this stage of the program needs to be done as we?re getting into the final big phase of the project,? said Gardner.

In order to keep the numbers streamlined, Gardner noted that there has been some value engineering done throughout the process to find ways to lessen costs.

In board business, Gardner announced that the nominating committee has identified a potential candidate to fill the empty seat that has been vacant since former trustee Rick Campbell resigned his position in April when he moved to Arizona.

Gardner said that the candidate is considering the position and the committee will come back to the board for a decision in July. The potential new trustee would then start serving in August.

The board is also considering going to electronic board reports, rather than using paper to provide the trustees with information packets for each meeting.

?Many other hospitals in the state have made this move,? noted Gardner, who brought the idea before the board for feedback.

Gardner noted that he is looking into the potential to use HCHC?s existing portal system. If the portal has the capability, the hospital would have more control over the system and it could be used at no additional cost to the hospital, noted Gardner.

However, there may be some costs associated with provided trustees with devices to use, such as an iPad, though it was noted that the trustees could be able to use their own if available.

Gardner noted that he wants to make sure that the trustees would have the ability to take notes on the information. He gave the example that currently someone may make a note in their packet before a meeting to remind them to ask a question during the meeting.

?We?re trying to make sure it has the functionality,? said Gardner.

The trustees were in favor of exploring the possibility, and the topic will be brought to the board again in a couple of months for more discussion.

?It just seems like it?s the way of the future,? commented Trustee Kent Severson. ?So we might as well get on board, in my opinion.?