Senior living community discussed at meeting

STAFF WRITER

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Roosevelt General Hospital board members are exploring the opportunity to build a senior living community by RGH.

Scott Buckley, owner of Buckley Consulting Services, presented to board members research on the demand for senior housing communities during Tuesday’s meeting.

Buckley said he collaborated with the Roosevelt County Community Development Corporation for the study.

He added the study was conducted in the “primary market area” of 25 miles from RGH.

He said 8,373 citizens over 65, including those in need of nursing and support services, live within 25 miles of RGH. 9,495 are estimated to live in the area by 2021.

Buckley added one-person households with citizens requiring assistance with daily tasks is anticipated to reach 543 by 2021.

With three assisted living facilities in the 25-mile area — including one facility for Bee Hive Home in Portales — and four skilled nursing facilities in the area including Heartland Continuing Care Center in Portales, board members said it would be a great chance to build a facility by RGH.

“This is worth continued conversations,” said RGH CEO Larry Leaming. “I think it would be a huge benefit to the community, (and an) economic benefit to the hospital.”

RCCDC Board President Randy Knudson said a facility would be a great help to bring Portales citizens home after moving to living communities in areas such as Lubbock, Texas.

RCCDC Economic Development Director Orlando Ortega also said the center would be a great investment for the community.

“We see job creation here,” said Ortega. “It’s about meeting the needs of our citizens and also inviting into our community. We’re excited for this.”

The following were other actions taken at the RGH Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday:

• RBC Capital Markets Director Erik Harrigan presented to board members options for restructuring bonds from 1999.

Under RGH’s current debt service payment of $585,000 per fiscal year up to 2020, around $1.1 million of net proceeds would generate under a five year fixed repayment schedule, around $3.1 million for a 10-year fixed repayment schedule and around $6.6 million for a 20-year fixed repayment schedule, Harrigan said.

Leaming recommended no action be taken on options until consulting with their legal council and evaluating hospital projects.

• Board members approved Chief of Staff Praveen Chava’s medical staff report.

Chava said they hired Dr. Stan Chou as a temporary surgeon. Chou, working in Raton for two weeks, will be working with RGH for surgical procedures and colonoscopies, Chava said.

Chava also said the hospital is still looking for coverage for ultrasound.

• Board members approved Assistant CFO Bill Boyer’s Fiscal Year 2017 report.

According to the report, RGH has around $69.6 million in gross patient revenue and $58.4 million in gross hospital revenue.

• Board members approved financial statements for July and August.

Gross hospital revenue by the end of August was around $5.1 million and gross patient revenue was around $5.8 million according to the income statement.

Total operating expenses were around $2.1 million by the end of August, according to the report.

• Leaming said he discussed with 10 other hospitals, during an annual Hospital Association meeting, ways to work together and improve hospital revenue.

“We look at things we can collectively go to the market for,” said Leaming.

Leaming added hospitals are discussing how to accommodate for rising Medicaid costs, though no methods have been addressed yet.

Leaming also said RGH has improved on their metrics, including a “24 minute door to dock” emergency room time.

• Clinic Administrator Tina Hill said she hopes provider Dr. Joyce Roberts will return to the Melrose clinic after medical leave mid-November.

The Melrose Clinic is running part-time because of Roberts’ absence, Hill said.

She added the RGH clinic is preparing for flu and cold season.

• Leaming said RGH is in the 67th percentile nationwide for overall employee satisfaction.

The data is taken from an e-mail survey by Healthstream sent out to hospitals throughout the nation, according to RGH Public Relations Director Greg McFarland.

Leaming added RGH is doing well heading into the rest of the fiscal year despite a shortage of ultrasound coverage.