A recent report generated from the Kentucky Hospital Association paints a favorable light for Trigg County Hospital — and its impact on the immediate area.
Don Michael, chief financial officer, listed the findings during Thursday evening’s session with the Board of Directors.
Currently:
— The healthcare facility and its arms employ nearly 200 full- and part-time faculty and staff, and spends more than $9 million on taxable wages.
— On average, more than $891,000 is annually spent on capital projects, many of which require the assistance and expertise of local and regional contractors.
— Furthermore, nearly $4 million is annually spent by the hospital for local goods and services.
— More than $130,000 is paid out through provider taxes, which supports more than $1 million in non-hospital Medicaid spending.
— More than $1 million gets paid in state and local taxes each fiscal calendar.
— More than $670,000 is subsidized in losses from treating Medicare patients.
— And more than $45,000 is doled out in financial assistance and charity care.
And this is just directly. Michael noted that, indirectly, it’s much, much more.
Also on the average, Trigg County Hospital treats almost 300 inpatients, 22,000 outpatients and 5,000 emergency room and/or emergent runs each calendar.
In other hospital news:
— Board members approved bids on three distinct goods and services: $130,655 to Murt Co. out of Paducah for the new HVAC system on the main building, $112,000 to Penn Care out of Ohio for a new transit non-emergent ambulance, and $124,550 to Select-Tech out of Shelbyville, Tennessee, for an ambulance remount.
Alongside CEO John Sumner and Trigg County Emergency Management Services Director Jason Meador, board members ardently discussed the possibility of adding a four-wheel drive ambulance, but were looking at current costs between $240,000 and $300,000, as well as a two-year wait time on the vehicle to even arrive.
Meador, meanwhile, gave high praise to the Trigg County Rescue unit, which last year had to pull at least one local ambulance out of a sticky situation during inclement weather.
Sumner said it was prudent to keep the ambulance fleet well in shape. He cited Christian County’s growing concerns about the costs of daily emergent care and transport, and noted that Trigg County Hospital’s own losses and debits for the benefit amounted to more than $600,000 in 2020, and more than $1 million last year.
— Sumner said the hospital is in “full go” mode of putting the cardiac clinic into effect, which should be up and running by June 1.
— Lancaster Cabinetry will also be working on nurse’s stations beginning March 10, and it will be a two-week process. Sumner said it will not impact care.
