Trustees received update on Phase I of the Rehab & Wellness Center renovation
The Box Butte General Hospital Board of Trustees met for their monthly board meeting Monday, August 29, and received an update from Interim CEO Lori Mazanec concerning the Rehab and Wellness Renovation Project. She said the Phase I renovation is going very well, with crews finishing up the flooring, ceiling tile and light fixtures. “We had opened up the area for staff tours last Friday and the groups were amazed at how it looks. We’re looking at working on the punch list in mid-September with a move in date the first part of October. From there we’ll move onto the second phase, including moving the Fitness Center equipment over to their temporary location. It looks fantastic back there.”
Ms. Mazanec, along with Chief Quality Officer Mary Mockerman and Chief Nursing Officer Carolyn Jones, presented a report on a tour of the facility made by 3rd District Congressman Adrian Smith earlier in the month. “He had many very good questions,” Ms. Mockerman said. “He was gathering information on how CMS health care policy effects health care organizations such as our hospital.” His questions ranged from the effects the 96-hour rule has on Critical Access Hospitals such as BBGH to the scope of offerings the hospital provides patients. Rep. Smith serves on the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means (which, as his web page says, “puts him on the front lines in the debate on how to create jobs, promote economic growth, and directly impact tax policy.”) and on the Subcommittee on Health. The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Health includes bills and matters referred to the Committee on Ways and Means that relate to programs providing payments (from any source) for health care, health delivery systems, or health research. Ms. Mockerman said he was very complimentary of the hospital.
The board also conducted the following business.
The board recognized Terry Kelley of the Maintenance Department for being chosen as the August Employee of the Month. Also recognized were Ms. Jones for her Certification in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP); Kris Lehl for obtaining her Nebraska Certified Pharmacy Technician (NE-CPht) credentialing; and Kristi Ellstrom for her completion of her Master’s Program, UNL, Integrated Media Communications. New employees welcomed to the BBGH staff were: Deann Thompson, Materials Management Specialist; Martin Heredia, Maintenance Tech; Jerri Brost, Assistant Cook; Shawn Moore, Phlebotomist; Haley Murphy, LPN; and Amy Machado, LPN, GNMSS Clinic.
After approving the consent calendar, Ms. Mockerman presented her monthly Quality Management and Safety Report. She presented a calendar of events for upcoming activities at BBGH, which include the annual OSHA and BBGH Online Testing; Hand in Hand Patient Experience Workshops; Sept.-Oct. annual staff flu shots; a Safety Fair in October; and a COPIC Risk Management Site Visit, also in October. She invited Trustees to attend any of 12 Thursday morning breakfast briefings with The Joint Commission, with several Trustees expressing interest. Also presented was a work injury report listing such injuries from the beginning of the year until August 25, as well as five BBGH Just Culture reports made to the Nebraska Coalition for Patient Safety (NCPS).
Ms. Mazanec gave an update on the Strategic Planning Process. She said two representatives from Quorum Health Resources (QHR) would be at the hospital Tuesday, Aug. 30 and Wednesday, Aug 31, to conduct key stakeholder interviews with people within the organization and from the community. The Trustees are part of the interviews. “QHR will put all the pieces together, along with some data requests they’ve asked us to provide to complete the strategic plan,” Ms. Mazanec said.
She also reminded the board that the 5th Annual Alliance Grime Time Adventure Race will be held Saturday, September 17 starting at Laing Lake and that new this year is the ability for people to just have some fun trying out the obstacles, or they can compete for prizes by finishing the whole course. Also on tap September 25 are two big events: the BBGH Auxiliary Home Tour September 25, with seven homes on the tour this year, and the annual Making a Difference event for Jane’s Closet, with Williams Jewelers sponsoring a Motorcycle Poker Run and Silent Auction.
After unanimously approving all credentialing requests, the board entered executive session at 7:48pm to discuss personnel matters. They returned to open session at 8:48pm and with no action taken adjourned at that time. The next Board of Trustees meeting will be held Friday, September 26 at 7:00pm in the Sandhills Room. As always, the public is welcome to attend.
Box Butte General Hospital is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
