BHRC director Joe Newcomb told the board at Tuesday’s monthly meeting that the state’s survey team was on the local campus last week, and the report is pending. Newcomb expects the evaluation over the next few days, and will share the report with the board and staff when it is received.
Another major item in Tuesday’s discussions was cuts in Medicare payments.
Comptroller Sandy Brock emphasized the anticipated cuts began Oct. 1, but these decreases have already been budgeted in ... as well as additional Medicare cuts expected in February.
“Therapy rates have come down some, with nursing care going up,” Brock said. “We may not see that much of a decrease overall,” she said, adding the staff had anticipated an 11 percent drop.
Tuesday’s board meeting was relatively short, with only routine reports.
In other board business:
n Judy Gee provided the financial report for September. These numbers fluctuated somewhat with the center’s census down to 191 from an average of 195 residents through September.
The census dropped with the loss of four or five residents, including the center’s oldest resident at the age of 105.
Brock said most of the losses came from the facility’s garden rooms. These are special suites for residents during their final days. The larger accommodations allow family members and other loved ones to spend more time with the residents.
The net revenue for the month was $38,872 over budget, due to the higher census. There was $11,067 in operating expenses under budget, and depreciations of $134 under budget.
Gee said the balance sheet shows operating cash is down about $110,000 due to a move to the payroll account. Escrow funds increased only by the interest amount.
Accounts receivable were up some for the month due to the higher census. Accounts payable were down about $8,000.
n The resident care report noted there are no nursing openings at this time.
n Board member Sandra Snider presented an environmental report. She said some wiring is still being done on BHRC’s new televisions. When completed, there will be a television for every bed in the center. New telephone service and WiFi are also being completed. All residents will have cable television.
Residents can have a telephone line for a $20-per-month fee as an optional service.
Snider said the maintenance crew is placing stainless-steel panels on the doors to the rooms. There will also be new windows to replace the double-pane windows which restricted vision because of clouding on the glass.
n The center’s staff and board members are planning a memorial for longtime board member Ann Martin. Martin resigned from the board in 2010 because of illness, and passed away in March.
A memorial garden will be located between the south parking lot and the chapel. A special memorial service is tentatively scheduled for the next BHRC board meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
Definite plans for the program will be announced at a later date.
