News – Thursday, April 2nd 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.