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The Dent County Commissioners met for their regular meeting Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. Salem Alderman Kenneth Nash was in attendance and asked the commissioners to consider working with the city for the Independence Day Celebration this year and the county said they would consider helping out at the event. In the road report, District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell stated that workers are repairing the rear spring assembly on dump truck #155 and working on the John Deere brush cutter. He stated that crews would be checking the bridge on Dent County Road 6080 and would be re-rocking a culvert on Dent County Road 5120.  District Two Commissioner Gary Larson reported that workers in his district would be replacing downed signs and performing some general maintenance on equipment. He also said that workers would be out checking and cleaning out culverts. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles wanted to remind everyone that the Dent County Budget Hearing for 2010 would be held Monday night at 7:00 at the Associate Courtroom in the Dent County Judicial Building and it is open to the public. Skiles also said that he faxed a note to Phelps County for more information on the bill for the sequestered jury for the Nash trial concerning the number of meals charged at the restaurants, but has not received a response. County Clerk Angie Curley said that the political subdivisions have begun submitting their certifications and that she is helping prepare the financial statements that will published in the newspaper for the public. At the last meeting, Steve Morton with Morton Construction came in to discuss a problem with the west end lobby window in the annex, and the commission approved to have Morton do additional work for $175. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and the meeting is open to the public.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital regular board meeting was held Thursday evening in the Hospital Library. For the month of December, the summary of operations showed revenues over expenses of $42,743 bringing the year-to-date revenues over expenses to $627,200. The hospital now has $3.6 million in CD’s. In the nurse’s report for December, there were 843 emergency room visits with a turnaround time of 120 minutes. There were 194 ambulance runs with 174 patients being assessed, 20 surgery cases, 296 home health visits, 7,072 lab tests, 928 radiological procedures, 201 CT scans, 16 MRI scans, 12 nuclear med scans, 262 rehab treatments, 228 dialysis treatments and 377 clinical visits. Dr. Punzulun gave the Chief of Staffs report. The medical staff elected new officers for a two-year term beginning February 1, 2010. Dr. Ryan Pharr will be the new Chief of Staff, Dr. John Demorlis will be Vice Chief of Staff and Dr. Brent Caudill will serve as Secretary. They recommended extending courtesy staff privileges to Dr. Rheff Lakin, Dr. Roberto Moran-Bojorquez and Dr. Boyd Terry and Tracy Beckham, CRNA. They also recommended an annual reappointment for the active staff and courtesy staff physicians. The board approved the recommendations.  Pryor said that the hospital auxiliary purchased 18 LG 26-inch flat screen TV’s with speakers for the Long-Term Care resident rooms at a cost of $9,000. Pryor reported that the Home Health Department received an Award of Excellence as being one of the top 100 Home Health Agencies in the country. The board heard a proposal from Ray Walden, Liz Gruendel and Jan Craig representing the Council for a Healthy Dent County requesting the hospital to act as fiscal agent for future Missouri Foundation for Health Grants that will be written to fund various healthy lifestyle programs. The first grant will be used to help support the Dent County Backpack Program. The grant will be for a three-year period and the group will be requesting $125,000. The hospital board agreed to serve as the fiscal agent for these grants. The board approved supporting a University of Missouri TeleHealth grant request for the hospital to receive an IV equipment upgrade. The board also approved writing a letter of commitment for a Health Information Technology Grant Partnership with the university. The Board approved the budgeted purchase of two Digital Signature Devices for $185 for the Acute Care and Surgery Departments, three 19” LCD Computer Monitors for $495 for Acute Care; and a time clock touch computer for $1,276 for Information Systems. The board also approved the non-budgeted purchase of a baby changing table for $211 for Family Medicine; a Physician Desk chair for $240 and a digital weight scale for $284 for the Emergency room; four digital cameras for $480 Acute Care, Home Health and the Emergency Room; a Doppler for $688 for EMS; 25 patient phones for $822 for Acute Care; a Dialysis Machine for $12,000 for Dialysis. They also approved painting and carpeting Physicians Office Building #2.  For the IT Department, the board approved spending over $33,000 to upgrade the computer system with anti-virus software, purchasing a 100 user software license and new server exchange operating system, adding e-mail security for HIPAA encryption and replacing the web filtering product. The board then voted to go into executive session.

Some of the photos printed at the Costume Ball had some printing errors on them. The photographer, Beth Watson has reprinted all photos, so you can have a clear copy. You may pick up the new photo at the TCRC in the “Salem Freedom Activity Center” (the old National Guard Armory) at your convenience and at no charge. Charles Pace at the TCRC is also making a disk with all of the photos from the ball on it. For those that attended the ball, and would like to have a copy of the disk, you may pick this up at the TCRC and again there is no charge. If you attended the Costume Ball you will want to be sure to get these. For more information, call 729-8163. 

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