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The Salem Memorial District Hospital received their annual audit report Thursday night at the their regular board meeting.  Eddie Marmouget from BK&D Accounting, LLP was in attendance to go over the report with the board. Marmouget reported that the hospital had a very good year as their total assets increased from $12,097,804 in 2009 to $13,241,453 in 2010. The long-term debt was reduced over $365,000 while unrestricted cash funds increased over $1,000,000. Marmouget pointed out that the net operating revenues of the hospital increased 12.9% from 2009 to 2010 as the hospital showed an excess of revenues over expenses for the year of $940,782. He also reported that the Statement of Cash Flows showed that the hospital increased their cash balance in 2010 over $70,000 even after over $1,000,000 had been invested. Marmouget said that his report reflected no material weaknesses in the audit and that the significant deficiencies continued to be the segregation of accounting duties (which is always pointed out because of the limited staff), the Rural Health Clinic revenue cycle, the audit adjustments that have to be made to third party payers as well as the Medicare and Medicaid cost reports. These audit adjustments included accrued expenses, self-insurance claims incurred but not recorded and the account receivable contractual allowances. Marmouget said that the hospital had an operating margin of 2.39% which is better than the norm of 1.41% for hospitals in rural Missouri. The profit margin for the hospital in 2010 was 5.36% which is more than double the normal rate for rural hospitals. Marmouget stated that the hospital long-term debt to capitalization was 10.76% while the norm for Missouri rural hospitals in 26.28%. He said that the hospital had 75 days of cash on hand but he would prefer that number to be close to 100. He said that the gross revenue per adjusted discharge at the Salem Hospital is $7,667 while the norm for rural Missouri is $14,314; and the operating expenses per adjusted discharge is $3,838 while the norm for rural Missouri is $6,693. Marmouget wrapped up his audit report by saying that the hospital is running extremely efficient and is a real bargain for the patients here compared to other rural hospitals.

The Dent County Commissioner met for their regular meeting Thursday morning at the Dent County Courthouse. In the road report, District One Commissioner Dennis Purcell said that grading was going to be done on Dent County Roads 6333, 6335, 6493 and 6497; and brush was going to be cut on Dent County Road 5680. Purcell said that the patching of a number of chip and seal roads was going to be done with the main road being Dent County Road 6240. He said that two workers would be screening gravel and others would be repairing a tandem dump truck. Purcell was also going to be attending a Bio-Mass Conference today put on by the Missouri Forest Resources Advisory Council. In District Two, Commissioner Gary Larson reported that two crossover pipes were being installed on Dent County Roads 4290 and 4480; and that materials were going to be added and grading done to both roads. He also said that pothole patching was going to be done on various roads and brush was going to be cut on Dent County Road 3090. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles wanted to let the public know that the MRPC Annual Dinner and Awards Banquet would be held on Tuesday, November 9^th at Linn State Tech in Linn, Missouri. Four people from Dent County will be honored and they are Jay Anderson, Jim and Diane Boulware, and Lane Howard. Tickets are available at $25.00 each and interested people can all 573-265-2993. At the last meeting, David Dittman with the Bank of Salem brought to the commission the lease/purchase agreement for the 2007 Chevy Tahoe for the Dent County Sheriff’s Department. The amount of the agreement is for $21,500 with three installments that will be due annually on October 31^st. The vehicle was delivered on Tuesday. Also at the last meeting, Rob Heberer with Erb Equipment came in and brought the commissioners the lease/purchase agreements on the two 2010 graders. The commissioners signed the agreement and the graders were delivered on Monday. The next meeting of the Dent County Commissioners will be held Monday morning at 9:00 at the Dent County Courthouse and the meeting is open to the public. 

An accident occurred at 10:30 Wednesday evening in Dent County on Highway H about two miles west of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, a 2008 Ford Focus driven by 24-year old Laken Ramsey of Salem was traveling westbound on Highway H and struck a deer. Ramsey suffered minor injuries and sought her own treatment. She was wearing a seat restraint at the time of the accident. The Ford Focus sustained moderate damage and driven from the scene by the owner.

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