Hospital numbers still down, impact of layoffs to be seen next year

"The numbers are still down, and the patient volume is down, but not as bad as last month," Pryor said.

In November the hospital had 38 inpatient admissions, down from the budgeted 53 and 51 a year ago. For the current fiscal year, the hospital has had 280 patient admissions, down from a projected amount of 321 and 301 a year ago.

Outpatients registered were 1,579, down from a budgeted figure of 1,867 and 1,638 a year ago. Emergency room visits were 732, down from 784 budgeted, up from 729 a year ago. For the current year the hospital has had 4,092 emergency room visits, down from 4,260 budgeted and 4,250 a year ago.

For the year, expenses outweigh revenues $524,864.

Other news

• The monthly report for November indicated there were 5.9 patients a day, 45 emergency room admissions to acute care, 47 emergency room transfers, 16 surgeries, 111 patients transported by ambulance, 24 dry runs for the ambulance service, 193 home health visits, 7,363 lab tests, 860 radiology procedures, 134 CT scans, 29 MRI scans, 15 nuclear med scans, 478 rehab treatments, 228 dialysis treatments and 385 clinic visits. Podiatry was the leader of clinic visits with 145 followed by Cardiology at 42 and surgery with 38.

• The remaining renovation of the patient waiting area is depending on the completion of the Long Term Care expansion. That work is 90 percent complete.

• The board approved the purchase of two LCD 19 inch monitors for Information Systems at $267 from Directec.

• The board approved insurance bids of $23,401 from Progressive Insurance for commercial insurance, up from this year's rate of $23,259; and from Town & Country Insurance for auto insurance at $4,860, down from the current rate of $5,134.