Cimarron Memorial Board hears from resident’s families by C.F. David

The Board of Cimarron Memorial Hospital met on Thursday, May 31 for their scheduled monthly meeting.

Present were Board chairman Matt Roberts, and Board Members Paul Toon and Lois Burkhalter.

CEO Dave Peyok was not in attendance, but Consultant Keren Jannsen was present to advise the board.

Roberts explained to the public that Board member Ralph Warren was out of the county and that former member Don Stark had left the board.

Nursing Home Director Donna Cain informed the board that the facility was down to 11 patients and that census would be reduced to 10 by Wednesday, June 6.

She added that the facility had also lost eight Certified Nursing Assistants to other facilities and that the few deficiencies found in the last inspection had been corrected.

Cain then asked the board if the home was still due to be closed and the residents out by midnight, July 14.

“As of right now, that’s the plan,” Jannsen said.

The wife of one resident inquired if private pay residents also had to vacate.

Jannsen replied that private pay residents could stay pending contract...a contract that as of May 31 didn’t exist, but that Jannsen hoped would be ironed out by the first week of June.

Helen Flippin, the wife of a resident then addressed the board, “This has caused a lot of heartache. I’ve sold my home; quit my job and I’m moving to Lubbock [Texas].”

“A lady that was moved to Elkhart last Tuesday is so disoriented she may die,” Flippin added.

“This has been hard on everyone, including the administration,” Jannsen said softly.

With tearful emotion in her voice, Helen Etling, the wife of another occupant told the board that she still had no solutions, that she didn’t know what she’d do.

“We’ll all make it Helen,” said Flippin.

Jannsen then told the board that as of the 31st she had no report on the sales tax expenditure, but would have it available as soon as possible.

Clinic Manager Tammy Avent told the board that they had lost the opportunity of doing several scope procedures and that at least seven were planned when arrangements could be made with the doctors Stone, hopefully by mid-June.

According to Peyok’s CEO report which Jannsen handed out part of the problem has been a question of the number of staff needed; a model has been developed and procedures will be performed.

A brief report from the medical staff informed the board that there was still a shortage of EMS personnel and that this was affecting the hospital due to the need for flight transfers.

Peyok’s report informed the board that the loan from Stockman’s Bank should be ready for signatures on June 6. Peyok added that the final dollar figure hadn’t yet been determined as of May 31 since the bank was consolidating CMH’s previous loan into the new loan amount.

In Peyok’s report he informed the board about the meeting with representatives of the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority (Medicaid), Centers for Medicare and medicaid Services, (CMS), and the Oklahoma Department of Health on May 21. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the possibility of transferring LTC residents to swing bed patients in the hospital once the nursing home was delicensed.

Peyok continued in his report by writing that many issues were discussed and that the hospital answered all the panel’s questions about the course of action, (taken by the CMH Board).

The Healthcare Authority, according to Peyok’s report, was not responsive to pursuing the possibility that the patients become swing bed patients due to the amount of time it would take to change existing law(s).

The authority did propose however a change in the reimbursement structure of the nursing home, thereby reimbursing on cost.

Peyok explained in the report that this suggestion might be available to CMH due to the facility being county-owned.

The authority was to have evaluated this option and determine what CMH’s reimbursement would be. An expected return call had not been completed in time for the board meeting; therefore, the plan to de-license the facility by July 15 was still in effect.

In other items on Peyok’s report he explained that the FY 2006 Cost Report, (this is much like an individual filing income tax), was near completion. Peyok thanked Jannsen, Kathy Roberts and Avent for a job well done. Peyok added that as a result of these efforts, and planned changes, the 2007 report should flow out much more easily.

Next on the list is an annual audit, which has been waiting on the final cost report.

Another item uncovered during the effort to complete the cost report was that the facility had dual accounting systems; therefore Peyok has combined the systems into one, and the system chosen will provide training.