HMH Board of Trustees Approves Plans for Accelerated Growth, Access to Advanced Care 

HMH reports strong financial performance through first half of fiscal year

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. – At its January meeting, the Hardin Memorial Health (HMH) Board of Trustees approved business plans to address the tremendous increase in patient volumes in laboratory, orthopedic surgery, surgical services, emergency services and primary care, specifically the internal medicine/pediatrics practice in northern Hardin County.

HMH’s Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, currently co-located with Care First Urgent Center on Rogersville Road in Radcliff, will move across Ky. 313 to provide space the growing practice needs. The move also will accommodate plans to add more providers and patient services.

“The unique combination of physicians board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics allows HMH to offer care to the entire family at one practice,” said Jeff Kingery, Vice President of the HMH Medical Group.

Kingery also presented plans to relocate HMH’s E-town Orthopedics into a larger space at the HMH Ring Road Medical Plaza. The move, slated for this spring, will help accommodate the practice’s patient growth and the addition of a new orthopedic surgeon who will join Marcis Craig, M.D. and Jeffrey Been, M.D.

Craig and Been are members of HMH’s nationally recognized Total Joint Program. Becker’s Hospital Review recently named HMH’s Total Joint Program one of the top 36 in the nation for hip and knee replacements based on extremely low 30-day readmission rates. It is the only program in Kentucky to earn the distinction.

Kingery added that the move also means the practice will be co-located with HMH’s Therapy and Sports Medicine Center.

“That means patients can visit with their surgeon after an orthopedic surgical procedure and receive critical rehab services all in the same location,” Kingery said.

The board also approved upgrades to HMH’s laboratory information systems. More than one million lab procedures were performed at HMH in 2016, up from 867,000 five years ago. A little more than halfway through fiscal year 2017, lab procedures have increased by eight percent compared to the year prior. HMH Vice President of Operations and Chief Information Officer Tom Carrico called the upgrade vital to HMH’s efforts to keep up with demand.

Carrico also presented plans to purchase additional diagnostic radiology equipment for the HMH Emergency Department (ED), which is undergoing a $14 million expansion to better serve the nearly 70,000 patients the team cares for annually. The 14,000 square-foot expansion is scheduled for completion this fall. HMH has the fourth busiest ED in Kentucky.

Also at the meeting, HMH Chief Nursing Officer Sharon Wright welcomed Deanna Parker as the new Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Emergency Services. HMH created the AVP position to bring a higher level of management and experience to the growing emergency department.

Parker previously served as the Director of Nursing, Medical Surgical and Intermediate Areas at Jewish Hospital in Louisville. She also was a nurse leader at Kentucky’s two teaching hospitals – University of Louisville Hospital and University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital. 

The board of trustees also approved plans for an additional operating room in its Outpatient Surgery and Endoscopy Center (OSEC) located on the main campus. The addition increases the number of operating rooms at that location from four to five. The plan also provides funding for renovations at the HMH Surgical Center on Ring Road in Elizabethtown to allow for more procedures. 

In other board news:

Baptist CEO Praises S&P Bond Rating Increase

Baptist Health CEO Stephen Hanson praised HMH for Standard and Poor’s (S&P) recent two-level bond rating change from BBB to A- on 2013 revenue bonds issued on behalf of HMH.

Baptist Health has a contract with Hardin County to manage the $270 million system. According to Hanson, bond rating downgrades are outpacing upgrades in the healthcare industry by a ratio of 2-to-1.

“An upgrade by two levels is very rare,” Hanson said. “I congratulate the leadership and staff of Hardin Memorial on years of hard work to hire the best physicians and providers as a strong medical staff is the lifeblood of any hospital. These efforts have been key in providing a solid foundation.”

S&P pointed to HMH’s improved financial performance over the past two years as its rationale for the rating increase and also noted HMH’s strong net patient revenue, profit margin and debt service coverage as well as its days cash on hand that increased by two-thirds. 

Financials

HMH CFO Lennis Thompson reported continued strong financial performance through the end of December with an operating income of $4.9 million versus a budgeted $2.5 million. Total operating revenue was 12 percent higher than the same period last year. Thompson pointed to higher than forecasted inpatient and outpatient volumes as the key drivers of the financial success.

Ambassadors of the Month 

HMH recognized the following ambassadors of the month. 

• Brandi Bolin, a clinical educator at North Tower, was nominated by a co-worker for her support of employees as they further their education and pursue credentials.
• Lisa Boulden, a certified respiratory therapist in HMH’s Cardiopulmonary Rehab Department, was nominated by a patient for her attentive care during the rehabilitation process.
• Carla Breckenridge, a patient registrar in Radiology, was nominated by a co-worker for her efficient work and positive attitude when working with patients and co-workers.

• Pam Rogers, a registered nurse at Family Medicine Center-Bardstown, was nominated by a co-worker for her selfless support of her co-workers and dedicated care coordination to ensure patient needs are met.

Daisy Awards

HMH presented Daisy Awards to one nurse and an entire department. 

• A co-worker nominated Chris Connors, a registered nurse in the Emergency Department, for his compassion and advanced care in responding to a five-patient trauma situation, during which he cared for and never left the side of an infant patient.
• A patient and his wife nominated the entire Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Department for their trusted and professional care. The patient said the team seeks to satisfy the unique needs of every patient.