News

Scroll Down for Sports, Weather and Obituaries! For State-Wide News, go to the MissouriNet! To read previous editions of Your World Today please visit our Archives Page.

The Salem Memorial District Hospital held a tax rate hearing Tuesday evening in the Hospital Library. The estimated total assessed value of real estate in the district is $189,523,514 and the total estimated value of personal property is $55,996,976. The board approved a new tax rate for 2015 at $0.1920 for every $100 of assessed valuation. This is estimated to bring in $471,399 for 2015. After the tax rate hearing the board of directors went into a regular board meeting. Hospital Controller, Becky Cunningham gave the summary of operations for the month of July that showed a gain from operations of $9,458 with revenues over expenses for the month of $14,149. The in-patient admissions were at 56 for the month. Director of Nursing Carol Lacy gave the Nursing and Ancillary Services report. There were 851 emergency room visits with the average turnaround time of 116 minutes. There were 214 ambulance runs, 12 surgery cases, 257 home health visits, 8,855 lab tests, 1,041 radiological procedures, 227 CT scans, 25 MRI scans, 14 nuclear med scans, 432 rehab treatments, 180 dialysis treatments and 295 clinical visits. Lacy gave the ambulance average response times for July and they were 2:59 for 9-1-1 calls and 5:38 for all calls. Hospital Administrator Dennis Pryor reported that the Hospital Auxiliary would hold their next meeting on Tuesday, September 2^nd at the Salem Community Center at the Armory at noon. The auxiliary will also conduct a Books are Fun fundraiser at the Hospital Library on September 9th, and the Masquerade Jewelry Sale will be held on October 9^th and 10^th at the Dent County Fire Station. Assistant Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas gave an update on the Electronic Medical Records status and work is still being done on the patient portal. Lacy reported the Community Needs Assessment plan continues to move forward with help from the Dent County Healthy Communities Task Force. Pryor did report there is a physician interested in coming to Salem to be a family practitioner and he will visit in November. This person will be graduating in June of 2015. The board discussed the employee handbook and there was a long discussion on the cell phone policy. The board approved the handbook except for the cell phone policy which will be reviewed at a later meeting. Lacy reported that Dr. Higano will be doing Telehealth visits every other Friday instead of every Monday as he has in the past. A board member asked if patients were being referred to any other cardiologist besides Dr. Higano and Lacy was not sure, but would check the charts and let the board know at the next meeting. The board approved the budgeted purchase of a Kubota Utility Vehicle from Wades Equipment in Steelville for $12,504, four new monitors for Information Systems from Automated Business Systems for a total of $596, a new printer for Information Systems from Tiger Direct for $116, a new label printer for Information Systems from SHI for $478 and a Thin Client Computer Notebook for Administration from Tiger Direct for $1,294. Board Chairman Joe Brand appointed Judy Thompson as Chairman of the Finance committee with A.J. Seay and Dennis Fiebelman on the committee. The board also agreed to do the annual bylaw review next month.

The Dent County Sheriff’s Office released some of their reports. On Tuesday, August 12^th, deputies were dispatched to the 1900 block of County Road 5070 for a report of a disturbance involving a firearm. Upon arrival, deputies met with a male who stated that another male at the residence had brandished and fired a firearm. Deputies responded and the subject refused to exit the residence. After a short period of time, the suspect was convinced to exit the trailer and was taken into custody without incident. He was later booked into the Dent County Jail pending the issue of warrants. At 3:00 that afternoon, deputies received a report of an alleged theft that occurred near the Cedar Grove Bridge. The statement provided stated that two Apple iPhones were taken from a van that was parked by a campsite. The phones that were taken were described as an Apple iPhone 5C and 5S. On Wednesday, August 13^th, deputies received a report that two gates, valued at $300, had been stolen from a property located on County Road 4040. A deputy responded and met with the victim, who stated the two gates actually belonged to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Anyone with any info regarding the stolen items is asked to contact the Dent County Sheriff’s Office by calling 729-3241.

Sports [TOP]