Lexington Regional Health Center has been selected by Modern Healthcare magazine as one of the 2023 Best Places to Work in Healthcare. Chief Experience Officer Mike Dowling told the Board of Directors Tuesday that the award is not given to every healthcare facility across the United States. Dowling said Lexington Regional has received the award in 5 of the last 6 years that it has applied for it. The award is based on evaluations sent out to employees. The year 2021 was the last time Lexington Regional won the award, ranking 68th in the nation. This year it was ranked 58th overall. Dowling said the award is based on employee benefit packages, employee recruitments, engagements and voluntarism. There were also several criteria on how the employees are engaged within their facility and how the facility cares about them as well.
On other agenda items, Chief Nursing Officer Nicole Thorell introduced Licensed Practical Nurse Julie McFadden as the recipient of the Caring Kind Award. The award is presented annually by the Nebraska Hospital Association to one employee of each member hospital. Several staff and board members spoke of their family members experiencing McFadden’s care or of working with her as she was recognized at the Board meeting.
Vice-Chair Pat Samway reported that a meeting has been scheduled with her, fellow Board Member Tucker Case and CEO Leslie Marsh to work out differences between the Board and CEO. Samway anticipated they would talk about the process for such meetings and how often they would meet. Samway said she and Case hoped that they could get the issues resolved “because I think we can resolve it”. Registered Nurse Leah Dutro commended the start of those meetings. Dutro expressed concern about community scrutiny on the Board/CEO issue similar to ones that were raised about a decade ago with a local physicians group.
Chief Human Resources Officer Jill Denker said their recent Leaving a Legacy event raised more than $120,000 which will be directed towards the renovation projects in Radiology and Obstetrics.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Fran Carlson said she is working with a physician assistant student on rotation this month. Dr. Carslon described her as a “very smart and very caring person”. She said that earlier they had a 4th year medical student who at the time, had not decided whether she wanted to go into internal medicine or family medicine. But, at the end of her time at Lexington Regional she settled on family medicine. Dr. Carlson says the student had a very good learning experience here and the student described the staff as “awesome”. The student indicated she was hopeful to return to Lexington Regional for her residency.
During review of the August Board meeting minute, Samway asked for clarification on whether she could be on the Board Finance Committee, a position Board Member Tucker Case held last year while serving as Vice-Chair . Samway was elected to serve as Vice-Chair during the August meeting after Case ceded his interest in the post. Board Chair Rob Anderson said that while the appointment was discussed, no action was taken as appointments to committees are ultimately made by the Board Chair. The minutes were approved with Samway casting the lone “no” vote.
Chief Nursing Officer Nicole Thorell reported that a team was recently onsite for a reaccrediting survey. She said it went very well and expect to get their written findings soon. Thorell related a number of the comments made by the inspectors. Such survey teams come onsite unannounced to the facility.
Finance Director Tara Naprstek they are working the annual price transparency update that is due at the beginning of each calendar year. They are in the process of gathering the data and working with a vendor to remain compliant with the requirement.
During Public Comments a meeting attendee asked about hospital billing that shows insurance payments, patient co-pay which total less than what the hospital charges. They wondered what happens to the difference between the amounts charged by the hospital and the amounts reimbursed? Chief Financial Officer Wade Eschenbrenner says the difference is what are called “contractual adjustments”. He continued that they negotiate with the commercial payers on reimbursement rates and the government tells them what they are going to pay the hospital. He says that “the government payers generally pay you less than what it costs to provide service”. Anderson said the total amount of contractual adjustments are tracked as a line item in the Health Center’s financial reports.
The Board went into Executive Session to discuss “Existing Litigation” and an “IT Update. No action was taken upon returning to open session.
