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The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors held their regular monthly meeting at the hospital library Thursday evening. At the meeting, Comptroller Stephanie Wofford then gave the summary of operations for the month of March that showed the hospital with a gain from operations of $120,638 and an excess of revenues over expenses of $155,900. She said the hospital had an increase in cash of $115,000 for month and that the net accounts receivable is standing at 61 days. She also said that effective May 1, the Medicare Fiscal Intermediary would change from Tri-Span to the Wisconsin Physician Service. This group is whom the Salem Hospital will have to bill to get their Medicare payments. Director of Nursing Carol Lacy reported that during the month of March there were 800 emergency room visits with 67 transfers, 180 ambulance runs with 149 patients being transported and 31 dry runs, 15 surgeries, 290 Home Health Care, 9,107 lab tests, 37 MRI tests, 291 rehabs, 269 CT scans, 1189 radiological procedures, 121 dialysis visits and 334 clinical visits. In the auxiliary report, Hospital Administrator Dennis Pryor said that  their next fundraiser would be held May 9^th when they hold a Bar-B Q at the hospital and tickets are $6.00. Four other fundraisers were discussed for the rest of the year. Pryor said that work has resumed on the Physician’s Office Building 3 and the electricians have been called to start installing the electric. The building could be under roof this week. The expenditures to date are at $474,879. Pryor said that 87 of about 2,400 surveys were returned for the emergency room, and about 12 of 250 inpatient surveys were returned for the January through March time period. Almost of the all surveys are very complimentary of the service received. The finance committee talked about the next fiscal year budget for the hospital based upon previous year’s figures and estimations. The finance committee feels that the hospital will have 884 total admissions with 16,000 outpatient services and 9,000 emergency room services. The committee is proposing a rate hike of $10 per day in long term care to bring the cost to $105 from $95 which is the lowest among the facilities they surveyed. They also proposed a salary and retirement fund increase of 4%, while drug costs increases will be about 7% and supply costs will go up about 8%. The 2008 fiscal year estimates total patient revenues at $26,824,000 with a net operating gain of $15,617,000 and a gain from operations of $202,000. Over all after taxes, the finance committee believes that the excess of revenues over expenses will be at $627,000. Administrator Pryor reported that the next clinic would be in May and it will be a Women’s Wellness Screening featuring additional tests for osteoporosis on May 12, 13 and 16. Then on June 16, 17 and 19, there will be Men’s Wellness Screening highlighting additional tests for the prostate. Sam Collier from Rehab Alliance, LLC was at the meeting to ask why the board did not consider his proposal to offer local rehabilitation services guaranteeing a 15% savings before they signed their last contract. Pryor said that the hospital is extraordinarily happy with the job their current provider is doing and they did not want to make a change at this time. He said that area of service was not very good in years gone by at the hospital and now was not a good time to change in his opinion. He told Collier that his firm would be given every opportunity to bid on the next contract in July or August of 2009. Pryor reported that the equipment has been purchased for the Missouri Telehealth but is not all in yet. They have also been in touch with the phone company to set up the appropriate lines to the hospital. Pryor told the board that the state of Missouri has sent inspection teams to check out the Dialysis unit and also Home Health. He said they told him everything went well and that only some minor adjustments need to be addressed. The board then approved the budgeted purchase of four Acute Care Chart Cart computers from PC Mall for $5,749, and four Tripplite 750 battery backups from Automated Business Systems for $384. They also approved the purchase of a laptop and Missouri State EMS Software for the ambulance for $4,786 from Turn-Key Mobile before approving the non-budgeted purchase of a printer for the Nursing Administration from CDW for $107, a surgery fax machine from CompUSA for $165, and an Emerson 20” digital TC /DVD with Roto Rugged Case from Atlas Case and Wal-Mart for $793. The board then went into closed session.

Sports [TOP]

Andrew Kissir went 2-3 with three RBI as Salem scored four times in the first inning and held on for a 6-3 win over Steelville yesterday. Andrew Karr went 3-3 and scored twice and Tyler Washausen went 2-3 with two runs scored. Ethan Curley got the win with Grant Gordon picking up the save. Salem is 8-3 on the year and will be at Mountain View today to face the Liberty Eagles. You can hear the game on KSMO and online at www.ksmoradio.com.

Edwin Encarnacion went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and also saved at least one run with his glove, as the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3, at Busch Stadium. Todd Wellemeyer (2-1) yielded four runs on seven hits over his six innings to take the loss, while Rick Ankiel, Albert Pujols and Chris Duncan each had a pair of hits for St. Louis. Ankiel's home run accounted for one Cardinals tally, while Troy Glaus and Cesar Izturis had the other St. Louis RBI. The two teams play tonight at 6:55 and you can hear the game on KSMO Radio.

Prior to the game, the Cardinals placed right-hander Brad Thompson on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation. The move is retroactive to April 23.

The Kansas City Royals had the day off and wil be at Texas tonight to start a three game series.

Major League Baseball Scores:

Arizona 5, Houston 3
San Francisco 4, Colorado  0
Pittsburgh at NY Mets, Postponed-rain
Oakland 14, Los Angeles Angels 2
Baltimore 3, Chicago White Sox 3 (suspended, 11 inngs)
NY Yankees 5, Cleveland 2

Obituaries   [TOP]

Funeral services for Charles M. Stack of St. James, age 88, will be held this morning at 11:00 at the James & Gahr Mortuary in St. James. Interment will be in the Licklider Cemetery in Jakes Prairie.

Funeral services for Minnie “Mae” Boyher of Jadwin, age 83, will be held today at 1:00 at the Dent County Memorial Chapel. Interment will be in the Green Forest Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Green Forest Cemetery.

Funeral services for Lottie Mae Williams of Palm Bay, Florida, formerly of Salem, age 88, will be held Wednesday at 10:00 at the James & Gahr Mortuary in Salem. Visitation will be tonight from 6:00 to 8:00. Interment will be in the North Lawn Cemetery.

Funeral services for Sherry Patterson of Salem, age 43, will be held Wednesday morning at 11:00 at the New Harmony Church. Visitation will be held tonight from 5:00 to 8:00 at the Wilson Mortuary Chapel in Salem. Interment will be in the Cedar Grove Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the DCAI Christmas donations or Sherry Patterson Scholarship.

Funeral services for Roger S. Mahurin of Salem, age 44, will be held Wednesday morning at 11:00 at the Dent County Memorial Chapel in Salem. Visitation will be tonight from 5:00 to 8:00. Interment will be in the North Lawn Cemetery.

Funeral services for Randy Schafer of Salem, age 48, will be held Thursday morning at 11:00 at Wilson Mortuary in Salem. Visitation will be Wednesday night from 6:00 to 8:00. Interment will be in the Green Forest Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Randy Schafer Memorial Fund at Town & Country Bank.

Funeral services for Wanda Rae Maples of Rolla, age 79, will be held at a later date. All the arrangements are under the direction of the James & Gahr Mortuary in Rolla.

Weather [TOP]