Physician recruitment continues at NRMC

Nevada Daily Mail

New clinics associated with Nevada Regional Medical Clinic are getting their share of business, and a plan addressing concerns about air conditioning in the operating rooms should be ready soon, according to reports presented to the board on Tuesday.

The NowCare Clinic, an urgent care clinic on Barrett Street in Nevada that opened in February, had 344 visits, 50 more than the projected number of 294 in June. This clinic is now certified as a rural health clinic. The Sheldon Clinic is averaging 17 visits per day, and the Rich Hill facility is working to build its business as well. A rheumatology clinic at the hospital, from Dr. Ann Winkler, will increase from once per month to Mondays, twice per month, starting in October.

Physician recruitment, conducted at an expense of nearly $200,000, has resulted in several new doctors joining the team. Dr. Micaela Wexler, psychiatrist, started her practice July 19. Dr Christopher Longnecker, cardiologist, will be joining NRMC's Specialty Clinic on Aug. 10. All of Drs. Cox and Zuehlkes' patients will be transferred to him, and his clinic will be held every Tuesday and Thursday.

Dr. Rick Kellenberger will join Nevada Medical Clinic to provide family care as of Sept. 1. He also will retain a portion of his existing practice in Fort Scott, Kan.

Dr. Mark Van Ess, an ear, nose and throat specialist, will join the Specialty Clinic when his credentialing is complete.

Physician recruitment is one of the strategies the hospital is using in an effort to work through a tough financial stint. Revenues were down in 2009 due to many factors relating to the economy in general, along with a climate of uncertainty about health care reform; and although the hospital reported having an increase in outpatient procedures, those procedures were mostly those on the lower end of the scale in terms of income to the hospital.

Other efforts aimed at improving the hospital's bottom line, which includes many activities, among them a reduction of paid-time-off days for employees for three months (the normal PTO schedule has since been reinstated, according to NRMC CEO Judy Feuquay) and evaluating many procedures and uses of personnel and equipment are paying off, Feuquay said, indicating that fiscal year-end financial figures are indicating an upswing. "One thing we looked at was (supply) hoarding. We found that was happening," Feuquay said, explaining that in some situations, excess supplies of various types were being kept. "So we put those (hoarded supplies) back into our inventory, and we used 'em."

In other business, the board heard an update on a concern brought forward in June about air temperature and humidity in the operating room. Dr. Scott Beard told the board in June that "The humidity got so bad we couldn't operate in there. I couldn't legally operate."

During Tuesday's meeting, Feuquay said the matter had been looked into, and an action plan should be brought forward soon; other areas also are served by the same air conditioning unit, and options are under evaluation.