NEWS

JANUARY 2010                             

HOSPITAL FIX UP

1. .10

ALL NINE NEWS HAS REPORTED FREQUENTLY ON IMPROVEMENTS BEING MADE AT LIBERTY DAYTON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER. THOSE EFFORTS CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD ACCORDING TO INTERIM HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR VICKI GATES. SOME RATHER EXTENSIVE WORK HAS BEEN DONE RECENTLY AND ROOM OCCUPANCY IS CERTAINLY ON THE UP-SWING. ADMINISTRATOR GATES SAID THEY HAVE BEEN TAKING ONE ROOM AT A TIME TO REDECORATE WITH NEW BEDS AND FURNITURE WHILE REPAINTING THROUGHOUT. IT HAS BEEN AWHILE SINCE THE PATIENT ROOMS HAVE BEEN PAINTED AND MANY YEARS SINCE THEY HAVE HAD NEW FURNITURE. THE HOSPITAL IS LICENSED FOR 25 BEDS BUT FOR VARIOUS REASONS ARE USING ONLY 10 BEDS AS THEY COMPLETE UPGRADES. MS. GATES SAID THEY HAD TO HOLD UP ON THE ROOM IMPROVEMENTS BECAUSE ALL PATIENT ROOMS WERE OCCUPIED. SHE SAID THAT WILL STEP AGAIN VERY SOON AS ROOMS BECOME AVAILABLE. THE 65 MEMBER HOSPITAL STAFF IS ALSO BUSY GETTING READY FOR THEIR JOINT COMMISSION INSPECTION. THAT IS THE EVERY THREE YEAR STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATORY CHECK THAT EACH HOSPITAL GOES THROUGH. THE LOCAL HOSPITAL HAS DONE WELL ON THESE INSPECTIONS IN THE PAST AND THE INTERIM ADMINISTRATOR SAYS SHE IS CONFIDENT THEY ARE READY. VICKI GATES, A WACO AREA NATIVE, IS NO STRANGER TO LIBERTY DAYTON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER. SHE HAS BEEN A SUPERVISOR THERE SINCE 1999 AND HAS 30 YEARS MEDICAL EXPERIENCE, FIRST AS A LICENSED VOCATIONAL NURSE BUT MOSTLY AS A REGISTERED NURSE. IN RECENT YEARS AT THE HOSPITAL HERE SHE HAS SUPERVISED THE VERY IMPORTANT JOB OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT. . SHE WAS ELEVATED TO INTERIM ADMINISTRATOR BY SOUTHERN PLAINS CEO TOM RICE AFTER DR. DAN YANCY SUBMITTED HIS RESIGNATION. LAST WEEK. SOUTHERN PLAINS HAS A MANAGEMENT CONTRACT TO OPERATE THE HOSPITAL HERE BUT IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A FULL PARTNER AS SOON AS THE PAPER WORK IS COMPETED THAT REMOVES FORMER OWNER FRONTIER HEALTH CARE FROM ITS INVOLVEMENT. THE OWNERSHIP IS PRESENTLY IN THE HANDS OF THE LIBERTY COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT WHILE FRONTIER HOLDS THE MEDICARE AND CRITICAL ACCESS AUTHORITY. THAT WILL SHIFT TO THE LIBERTY COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT AND ITS RECENTLY CREATED NON-PROFIT CORPORATION WHEN ALL AGREEMENTS WITH FRONTIER CHANGE HANDS. THEN SOUTHERN PLAINS AND ITS PARENT CORPORATION, CALLED TI, ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME NOT JUST HOSPITAL MANAGERS BUT FULL PARTNERS WITH A SIGNIFICANT MONETARY INVESTMENT. .