Local News – Thursday, February 22nd, 2018

The Salem VA/VFW Clinic is looking for more volunteers immediately to provide transportation for local Veterans with appointments at the VA Hospitals in Columbia and Poplar Bluff in the DAV Van. There is an urgent need for volunteer drivers NOW and you do NOT have to be a veteran to volunteer to be a driver! All you need is a regular valid driver’s license. Volunteer drivers will need to pass a drug test and a physical and all the testing will provided by the Veteran’s Administration. Anyone who is interested in being a volunteer driver can pick up a packet at the American Legion Post or call Richard LaBrash at (573) 729-1394. The van will be a valuable asset for Veterans traveling long distances due to the recent changes in reimbursements for travel.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors met for the regular meeting Tuesday evening at the hospital library. The summary of operations for the month of January showed the hospital had a gain from operations of $74,011 and an excess of revenues over expenses of $436,631. So far in this fiscal year, the hospital has a gain from operations of $298,485 with an excess of revenues over expenses of $730,798. The cash flow statement showed a gain in cash of $1,104,969 for the month with days in accounts receivable at 67, up from the 61 days in December. Chief Nursing Officer Debbie Hines reported during the month there were 71 acute care admissions and 886 emergency room visits. Also during the month, there were 222 ambulance runs with 168 patients being transported to the hospital, 27 surgery cases, 1,799 outpatient registrations, 217 home health visits, 8,967 lab tests and 1,103 radiological procedures. Hines went over the Quality Improvement Projects that focused on nine departments selecting areas where improvement is needed. These departments included Dialysis, Swing bed, Medical Records, Pharmacy, Emergency Department, Materials Management, Infection Control, Home Health and Long Term Care. Hines presented the Influenza update that showed in January there were 236 reported cases of the flu and so far in February, that total number has reached 411 through February19th. The total amount of flu cases reported last year came to 227 cases. Lucas said the Hospital Foundation Board discussed changes to the Golf Tournament in June where they are hoping to get 26 teams involved with two flights: one starting at 8:00 in the morning and the other at 1:00 in the afternoon. The Foundation board elected to examine the Foundation entity structure to see if it would be better if it were it’s own 501 C 3 non-for profit organization. That board would examine data and determine if it is beneficial to make that change. Chris Strickland discussed the Strategic Marketing Plan that is mission and vision driven. Strickland said the hospital is working to be patient focused while incorporating all the aspects of community involvement that will integrate the marketing plan. Strickland said the Health Fair had 304 attendees in February, but the first day was slowed by adverse weather. He said he would like to see the Health Fair become a bigger event with more of the services the hospital has to offer being available. Administrator Kasey Lucas reported the Finance Committee Meeting for February was being rescheduled as there was some discussion on capital purchases that need to be addressed in possibly a five-year plan that prevented them from meeting. The Home Health By-Law revision discussed at the last meeting was approved before the board discussed purchases. The board approved the purchase of a 55-gallon drum handler for Materials Management from Northern Tool for $1,048, new Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme lap top computers from Insight for the EMS Department from Insight for $10,360, and the purchase of the Evident Human Resources Module for their system for $10,950.00 that will allow them to send secure e-mail information rather print it out on paper. The board then went into closed session.

The Salem Police Department released their report for the month of January. During the month, they wrote eight equipment repair orders, 13 summons to appear in court, 11 warning tickets, and 13 traffic tickets. The Salem Police Department investigated nine accidents, one assault, one report of domestic assault, four reports of domestic violence, two reports of fraud, one lost or stolen license plate, one dog bite and eight fugitive warrants. The department also investigated six reports of possession of a controlled substance, three possessions of drug paraphernalia, four reports of property damage and 13 reports of stealing. The police department received 853 calls for service during the month and handled 113 walk-ins to the station. They spent 28 hours in court testifying and 12 hours as court bailiff. The Salem Police Department drove a total of 8,264 miles and arrested 18 males and 15 females during the month of January.