Flint Hills Community Health Center could end 2008 with a positive balance as some funds are late coming in, the board of directors was told during Tuesday afternoon’s meeting.
The December summary stated that the center would see a net $78,000 loss for 2008. However, several sources of income are coming this month, said board member Betty Senn.
“We actually will end 2008 on a positive number,” Senn said. “We had other 2008 income come in January. I don’t think the $78,000 loss is going to be true.”
Danica Case, treasurer, said the center had a lot to deal with in 2008.
“All in all, considering everything we had to deal with in 2008, it isn’t as bad as it could have been,” Case said. “It could have been a lot, lot worse.”
In other matters, Lougene Marsh, executive director of the center, spoke about possible funding cuts by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The cuts are in response to the governor’s proposed budget cuts for the state. Marsh said the proposed cut would be $25,000, or 5.5 percent of the center’s community-based primary care grant.
“There has been considerable discussion already about the proportionality of that particular reduction,” Marsh said. “The legislators that we have been visiting with share our concern about the proportionality of that reduction.”
Cuts are proposed to other programs as well that will directly affect the Lyon County Health Department.
“These are all things that we are going to keep an eye on,” Marsh said. “It is a very difficult year in the state budget and unfortunately some of the reductions they are planning may make the local governmental budgeting for 2010 a challenge also. ... I think that it is going to be a challenging year on many fronts. ...”
In other business:
F Board members discussed and approved the 2009 marketing plan.
F Board members discussed the patient-satisfaction survey results, which indicated high patient satisfaction levels and nearly all areas improving from the last survey. Patients were asked to rate ease of getting care, wait times, payment, facility, front desk, nurses and medical assistants, providers, all other staff and general satisfaction. More than 98 percent of patients stated they would recommend a friend or family member use the center.
Items in written reports included:
F December 340B activity reported by Graves indicated that 1,047 prescriptions were dispensed to 580 patients. The average cost to the client was $7.21 per prescription.
F Michael Mawdsley, medical director, reported that the center received 400 free doses of the Flumist influenza vaccine. One hundred of those were used at the middle school and the remainder will be provided free of charge through Public Health.
F Christa Walker of the Flint Hills Community Health Center Dental Clinic reported that the dental clinic had 511 patient encounters in December. The clinic was open about 20 days.