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The Salem Memorial District Hospital Board of Directors held their regular monthly meeting at the hospital library Thursday evening. Controller Stephanie Wofford reported that the summary of operations for the month of December showed an excess of revenues over expenses of $41,247 for the month and a year to date total of $285,215. Director of Nursing Carol Lacy gave the statistics for the month and there were 775 emergency room visits, 160 ambulance runs with 28 dry runs, 13 surgeries, 279 clinical visits, 198 home health visits, 6,396 lab tests, 1,043 radiological procedures, 20 MRI scans, 114 dialysis procedures visits and 10 mammograms were performed. Chief of Staff Dr. Yvonne Prince recommended to the board that they give courtesy staff privileges to Dr. William Mehard, MD, approve the active staff privileges for the seven physicians currently at the hospital, and approve courtesy staff privileges for all the other doctors that currently have courtesy staff privileges. The board approved her request. The board also approved some medical staff by-law revisions that basically deal with anesthesia services for surgeries that are currently being done at the hospital, but are not in writing. These by-law revisions will need to be reviewed again in 30 days by the board at which time they can give their final approval. Hospital Administrator Dennis Pryor is the Missouri Hospital Association rural hospital representative in their discussion with the state about new Medicaid regulations. The current regulations will expire in July 1 of 2008. The board approved allowing Pryor and hospital attorney Mark Weaver to secure letters of credit from a bank or banks to secure the loan application through Intercounty Electric as required by the USDA for the Physicians Office Building #3. The hospital is continuing their recruitment efforts as they have made six contacts and four of the physicians have visited. Pryor said a doctor and his spouse would be in Salem on February 2nd and 3rd for a visit. Pryor said that Joe Brand was the only candidate to file for District 6 for the hospital board, and he will automatically be elected in April as the issue will not be placed on the ballot since there was only one candidate. The board approved selling 23 over-the-bed tables that are surplus items, and they approved the conflict-of-interest policy. The board also approved a number of budgeted purchases. They included an LCD Monitor for Social Services for $208 from CDW, a darkroom exhaust system and installation for Radiology from Langendorf for $1,100, a duplicator from Ikon for $5,193 and a thin client and LCD monitor for Central Supply from CDW for $614, 30 blood pressure units for Acute care from Cardinal for $2,364, a laser printer from CDW for $1,412 and Exit Care software for the Emergency Room for $2,500. Also budgeted for the maintenance department were the purchase of a drill for $158, an impact wrench for $222 and a portable band saw for $289, all from Granger; and a mig welder from Northern for $502. An unbudgeted item that was purchased was 12 Emergency Room Patient Chairs from Automated Business Systems for $656. The board then went into closed session.

An accident occurred Thursday morning at 6:38 in Dent County on Highway 19 about two miles north of Salem. According to the highway patrol report, a 1995 Pontiac driven by 45-year old Albert Glore of Steelville, and a 2002 Ford driven by 22-year old Keith Lamb of Salem, both were stopped in traffic due to a previous accident on Highway 19. At that time, a 1993 Oldsmobile driven by 24-year old Amy Barnard of Salem was traveling southbound on Highway 19 and failed to observe the stopped vehicles. She struck the Pontiac from behind which caused the Pontiac to strike the Ford from behind. Barnard suffered moderate injuries and was taken to the Salem Memorial Hospital by the Salem Ambulance. Everyone involved in the accident was wearing a seat restraint. The Ford sustained minor damage and was driven from the scene. The Pontiac was totaled in the accident and was towed by Whitaker’s Towing. The Oldsmobile sustained moderate damage and was left at the scene to be removed later. Barnard was issued a summons for careless and imprudent driving.

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Today and tonight.. Partly cloudy, high of 41, low of 22.
Saturday..Partly sunny with a 40% chance of snow in the afternoon, high of 38.
Saturday night..Cloudy with an 80% chance for snow with some major accumulation possible, low of 28.
Sunday..Cloudy with a 40% chance for light freezing drizzle, high of 35, low of 18.