News – Tuesday, November 29th, 2022

The Salem Memorial District Hospital regular board meeting was held last Tuesday evening in the Hospital Library. Hospital CEO Wayne Reid reported the Missouri Board of Pharmacy inspection was held and there were no deficiencies found. He also said the new Saturday walk-in clinic will begin at Salem Family Medicine in Physician’s Office Building 3 on Saturday, December 3rd. Reid said the hospital held an employment engagement survey and the board reviewed the results. In the summary of operations for October, there were 77 inpatient admissions with 267 inpatient census days. There were 82 swing bed days with an average length of stay of near 12 days. The hospital showed a loss from operations of $507,301. During the month, there were 635 emergency room visits with 45 admissions, plus there were 205 ambulance runs where 143 patients were transported. In October, there were 27 surgery cases, 1,381 outpatient registrations, 5,962 lab tests, 1,289 radiological procedures, 591 rehab treatments and 170 home health visits with 14 home health admissions. The days cash on hand was at 45 with $3.5 million in total cash. The board reviewed the 340B Pharmacy program and how it works to benefit the hospital before receiving the report from Chief Nursing Officer Ashley Sullins. The Hospital Foundation will hear some investment strategies from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks on December 7th, plus they will have a cornhole tournament March 11th, 2023 at the Salem Community Center@The Armory and “Dancing with the Salem Stars” will be held on February 17th, 2024. Reid said the transformer work and the pressure regulator valve replacement are now complete. Reid presented the kitchen drain proposal from Estarely, Schneider and Associates, Inc. and provided the board the SMDH Family Clinic architect update from Facility Design Group, LLC. Election filing for the hospital board seat for District 4 that will come up in April begins at the hospital administrative offices on December 6th and will last until December 27th during normal business hours. The board approved the purchase of a security system from Rommel’s Lock and Alarm to replace the old system for $32,562, and a new Reagent 25 cubic foot Storage Freezer for $6,126.51 to replace the current freezer with double the storage space. After the marketing and community champion report, the board will hold a strategic planning meeting December 8th with the Board of Directors and Medical Staff Holiday Dinner to be held on December 14th at 5:30. The board then went into closed session.

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation shows young hunters ages 6 through 15 harvested 2,881 deer during Missouri’s late youth portion of the 2022 deer hunting season, November 25th through the 27th. Of the 2,881 deer harvested, 1,302 were antlered bucks, 322 were button bucks, and 1,257 were does. Top counties for the late youth portion were Lincoln with 82 deer harvested, Franklin with 65, and Osage with 52. Young hunters in Dent County harvested 23 deer, Phelps County youth tagged 28 deer, and Texas County had 34 deer tagged. Last year’s harvest total for the late youth portion was 3,534, with 1,498 being antlered bucks, 390 button bucks, and 1,646 does. This year’s harvest total was slightly below average, but that wasn’t unexpected given the rain that moved through portions of the state Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Archery deer season continues through January 15th, 2023. The antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs December 3rd through the 11th in open counties, followed by the alternative methods portion December 24th through January 3rd, 2023. Find more information about deer hunting from MDC’s 2022 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available where permits are sold and online at mdc.mo.gov.

The Creative Arts Center will be offering a Seasonal Ceramic Christmas Ornament class. Participants will make beautiful handmade Christmas ornaments in this two-day class, with the assistance of Pottery instructor Connie Behrick. Clay, tools and acrylic paint or glazes will be available, or you may bring your own. Participants will make the ornaments out of clay on Saturday December 3rd from 10:00 in the morning till noon, let them dry, and they will bisque fire them for you in time to paint with acrylic paints on Saturday December 17th. Painted ornaments may be taken home on the 17th, in time to give as gifts or decorate your tree at home. The Creative Arts Center has two ways to sign up for events! Go online at salemcommunitybetterment.com, or call or text 247-0651 and look under programs for the Salem Creative Arts Center.

The Cosmopolitan Club will sponsor the “Christmas Tour of Homes” this Sunday, December 4th, from 2:00 until 4:00 in the afternoon. Homes on the tour will include the home of Harold Hamilton, the home of Dwayne and Lisa Blackwell, the home of Sherman and Marsha Odom, the home of Cam and April Greener and the Dent County Museum. Admission to the home tour is by ticket only and tickets are available at the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce office for $30 in the Crossroads Shopping Center.