April 25, 2024 |
Photo – Memorial Hospital of Carbon County – Bigfoot99 file photo
Memorial Hospital of Carbon County officials held their second Business Breakfast.
Yesterday morning, members of MHCC met with the public to discuss the status of the hospital. Attendees were treated to a delicious breakfast inside of the hospital’s cafeteria, The Windy City Café.
The meeting began with the introduction of MHCC’s new, but temporary, general surgeon Mark Shapiro. Dr. Shapiro said he began practicing medicine in New Hampshire. After the COVID-19 outbreak, Dr. Shapiro traveled across the country, temporarily providing his services to various hospitals.
Locums, or locum tenens is a Latin phrase that means “to hold a place.”
Next, MHCC’s new Chief Financial Officer, Margaret Fontana said the hospital is still suffering financially.
Fontana said it is going to take a long time to bring the struggling facility back from the brink of closure. However, Fontana said she is confident that once she gets the hospital’s finances figured out, MHCC will succeed.
Director of Strategic Operations Stephanie Hinkle said the hospital has transitioned to a new billing company called Revenue Enterprises. Hinkle said other medical facilities across the state use the same billing company. The director of strategic operations said Revenue Enterprises will work with medical coders to strengthen the hospital’s revenue stream.
MHCC is looking for people to assist Chief Financial Officer Fontana. Hinkle said having a well-staffed accounting department will lower the number of outstanding patient accounts and allow the hospital to remain operational.
Memorial Hospital of Carbon County is working with a new hospitalist group called Rural Family Physicians. Director of Nursing and Outpatient Services Jessica Seldomridge said the physician group specializes in rural medical care.
Director of Strategic Operations Hinkle said Rural Family Physicians have increased the number of patients receiving treatment at the hospital. Hinkle said over the past two months, the patient count at MHCC has quadrupled.
Hinkle said the low patient census was seriously hurting the hospital. A high patient count, combined with providing increased medical services, is essential to keeping MHCC open, said Hinkle.
Chief Executive Officer Rex Walk said he has a new internal medicine doctor starting soon. CEO Walk said he is also close to recruiting two physician assistants.
Hospital officials said things are looking up for Memorial Hospital of Carbon County. However, it will take a long time to correct years of financial mismanagement.
