Archive for 2026

The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors held its regular meeting Tuesday evening at 7:00 in the Doctor’s Library at the hospital. After approving the agenda and the previous meeting’s minutes, the board discussed bids for a new transit ambulance and box remount. Representatives from Pinnacle Emergency Vehicles and TESCO Specialty Vehicles were present at the meeting. After much deliberation, the board approved the transit ambulance bid from Pinnacle in the amount of $167,820, which includes a three-year/100,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a five-month lead time. The board also approved the box remount bid from TESCO in the amount of $118,681, which includes a 12-month labor-only warranty and a 90–120 day lead time. Financing for the transit ambulance will go through Pinnacle for 60 months at 4.89% interest, and the box remount will be financed through the Bank of Salem at 6% interest for 60 months. Neither option carries early payoff penalties. Medical staff privileges were approved for providers across six departments, and new privileges were granted to five new providers in Teleradiology, Psychiatry Long-Term Care, and Pathology. Policies and procedures and departmental manuals were approved for Infection Prevention, the Emergency Department, and 340B. The Quality Assurance Performance Improvement Plan for 2026 was also approved. In her report, Chief Executive Officer Brooke Bollman highlighted updates on the hospital’s recruitment efforts, strategic planning, Revenue Cycle, and the potential for service line growth, as well as upcoming hospital events in May. For the month of February, the hospital recorded 55 inpatient and four Swing-bed admissions. There were 1,027 outpatient registrations, 1,319 cardiopulmonary procedures, 564 Emergency Room visits, and 192 ambulance runs; these numbers remained consistent with the previous month. The Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation department collected its first revenue in February, totaling $2,646.00. Swing bed revenue was $75,600.00, approximately $45,000 less than the revenue collected in January. Total operating revenue for February was approximately $2 million. The hospital paid $943,714.94 in salary and fringe benefits and $20,716.12 in marketing, which includes recruitment. Total operating expenses were approximately $1.9 million, for a profit of around $354,000.00. The hospital currently has 31 days of cash on hand. 340B net revenue for February totaled $47,168. Amber Hogan delivered the Chief Nursing Officer’s report, highlighting efforts to transition Long-Term Care (LTC) to an electronic medication records program and to update or replace LTC’s call light system. The hospital continues to prioritize education and training. Several employment openings remain in the Med/Surg, Emergency, EMS, and LTC departments. There were four new hires and four departures in February. During the Quality Improvement and Risk Management report, Kendra Mobray noted that the hospital’s new website is nearing completion and may be ready within a month. The meeting then entered into executive session before adjourning. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors is set for April 28th at 7:00 in the Doctor’s Library and is open to the public.

Don’t forget that Healthy Dent County and the University of Missouri Extension will be hosting an Alpha-Gal Syndrome educational session tonight from 5:30 to 6:30 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory at 1200 West Rolla Road. The cost of this course is $5.00 per person, payable at the event. This event is open to the public and designed for anyone interested in understanding and managing Alpha-Gal Syndrome, including individuals, families, and caregivers. For more information, call 573-729-8163.

There are still some VIP tables and individual tickets available for the “Non-Newlywed Game” this Friday evening at the Salem Community Center @ the Armory beginning at 6:30 with doors opening at 5:30. A limited number of individual tickets will be sold for $25 per ticket. Get your tickets now by calling 573-729-8163 or dropping by the Salem Community Center @ the Armory.

An accident occurred in Dent County Monday afternoon at approximately 5:00 on Highway 19 at Dent County Road 4060. According to the Highway Patrol report, an eastbound 2005 Ford F150, driven by a 69-year-old Salem man, ran off the right side of the roadway. The driver overcorrected, and the Ford ran off the left side of the roadway where it overturned. The man suffered serious injuries and was transported by Salem Ambulance and then Air Evac. The report stated that the man was not wearing a safety restraint. The F150 was totaled and removed from the scene by Whitakers Towing of Salem. 

An accident occurred in Dent County Monday evening at approximately 7:00 on Highway H near Dent County Road 2380. According to the Highway Patrol report a westbound 2000 Dodge Ram 1500, driven by a 34-year-old Edgar Springs man, ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree. The man suffered minor injuries and was transported by Salem Ambulance to Salem Memorial Hospital. The report stated that the man was not wearing a safety restraint. The Dodge Ram was totaled and removed from the scene by the owner. 

This guide provided by Dent County Clerk Angie Curley provides essential information for residents for the general municipal election: The final day to vote no-excuse absentee in-person is next Monday, April 6th. Election Day will be next Tuesday, April 7th, and polls will be open from 6:00 in the morning to 7:00 in the evening. You must present a valid government-issued photo ID at your polling location. If your polling location is the Green Forest R-II School Gym, it will not be an active polling site for this election. If unsure of where your polling location is, contact the Dent County Clerk’s office at 573-729-4144. You can obtain a sample ballot also by contacting the Dent County Clerk’s office. Remember that there is no electioneering allowed within or near the polls on Election Day within 25 feet. This includes asking someone for their vote, distributing campaign literature, wearing campaign shirts, hats, pins, etc. Make sure all of your voting information is up to date, such as your address or name. 

According to a press release Salem R-80 District Superintendent Nate Wills provided this afternoon, the Salem High School was one of just 37 high schools, out of nearly 1,000 total statewide, to voluntarily participate in an initiative launched in 2025 to test wastewater for illicit drugs of concern. These schools support their communities and the state by helping to identify potential drug trends affecting students and the surrounding community. Participation demonstrates the district’s proactive commitment to prevention, awareness, and early identification of substance use trends. Wills clarified that the wastewater sample connected to the district was not collected from a dedicated sewer line serving only the high school and middle school. Instead, it intersects with the broader municipal system, meaning it reflects wastewater from the city at large, not exclusively from the school facilities. Sampling occurred between 8:00 in the morning and 3:30 in the afternoon over a 10-week period. During that time, a substance identified as a nitazene, a highly potent synthetic opioid, was detected in one week of the sampling. Because the sample was not exclusive to school facilities, this result cannot be necessarily attributed to the Salem R-80 students, staff, or campuses specifically. However, it reinforces the importance of continued awareness, education, and prevention efforts both in our schools and throughout the community. Earlier this week, district leadership met with Jamie Myers, Director of Prevention Consultants of Missouri; David Chirban, Coordinator of Drug Free Communities; Sherry L. Lea, Executive Director of Healthy Dent County; Carlos Lopez, Healthy Dent County Youth Prevention Coordinator; and Jessica Ricks, Population Health Director at the Dent County Health Center to review the findings and determine next steps on prevention and education. In addition to these partnerships, the district continues to actively implement prevention-focused programming for students. These efforts include Teens On Prevention, a student-led coalition that promotes healthy choices and leadership among peers; Teens Teach Prevention, a peer-to-peer model that empowers students to educate and support one another; and Too Good For Drugs, a research-based curriculum provided to students in grades 4–9 that focuses on building decision-making skills, resilience, and resistance to substance use. Data like this is critically important as communities and the State of Missouri work together to counteract dangerous drugs, protect lives, prevent addiction, and reduce the serious health, safety, and social consequences associated with substance use. Wills concluded that if the community has questions or would like more information about resources available to families, please contact any of the Salem R-80 building offices. The district will continue to partner with local organizations and keep the community informed on the issue.

The Salem Memorial Hospital Board of Directors will hold their regular meeting Tuesday at 7:00 in the hospital’s library. After the call to order, roll call, and approval of the agenda, the board will discuss approval of policies and procedures, including the infection prevention manual, pharmacy 340B policy, emergency department manual, and quality assurance performance improvement plan. Any registered public comments will be heard before the operational reports from Chief Executive Officer Brooke Bollman, Chief Nursing Officer Amber Hogan, and Quality Improvement Director Kendra Mobray. There is no unfinished business on this meeting’s agenda. Under New Business, the board will consider the approval of medical staff privileges; governing body bylaw; and medical staff bylaw. The meeting will then adjourn to executive session to discuss legal and personnel matters, before adjourning. Except for the executive session, the meeting of the Salem Hospital Board of Directors is open to the public. Anyone that would like to attend by telephone or electronic means should contact the SMH Administration office at 573-729-6626 Extension 4005.

The Dent County Commission held its meeting Monday morning at the courthouse. First District Commissioner Keith Green reported crew members are planning to grade county roads 5410 and 5170. Patching is planned for County Road 6100. The backhoe will be brought to county roads 6300 and 6500 to distribute rock. Second District Commissioner Jimmy Williams reported that crew members are planning on grading county roads 2110 and 4280, as well as hauling rock to 2110 and 2060. Cutting brush is planned for County Road 2570. A driveway pipe is planned to be installed on County Road 2060. Presiding Commissioner Gary Larson reported he will be attending a meeting with the Meramec Regional Community Foundation in St. James, the charitable partner of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission, to choose a scholarship recipient out of five finalists–three finalists were from Hermann, one from Owensville, and one from Salem, Ave Wofford. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley reported that no excuse absentee voting continues. This Saturday, the county clerk’s office will be open for voting from 8:00 in the morning to noon. Next Tuesday, April 7th, voting will be from 6:00 in the morning to 7:00 in the evening. Remember to bring your photo ID. Dent County Collector Shannon Vankirk came in to announce that the SB190 applications will be ready for pick up after April 1st in the Collector’s office. The courthouse will be closed this Friday in observance of Good Friday. The next meeting of the commission will be Thursday morning at 9:00 in the courthouse, and the meeting is open to the public.

Healthy Dent County and the University of Missouri Extension will be hosting an Alpha-Gal Syndrome educational session on Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 at the Salem Community Center @ The Armory at 1200 West Rolla Road. Community members are invited to attend this informative session focused on understanding and managing Alpha-Gal Syndrome. Attendees will learn what Alpha-Gal Syndrome is, explore common symptoms and how screening works. The program will also provide practical prevention strategies and helpful tips for grocery shopping and reading food labels to avoid hidden sources of alpha-gal. This event is open to the public. The cost of this course is $5.00 per person, payable the night of the event.