Doug Ruhland, Eden Valley; Don Anderson, Paynesville; Bob Brauchler, Regal; Diane Rothstein, St. Martin; and Carolyn Swyter, the at-large member; accepted their positions at the Nov. 20 hospital board meeting.
The Eden Lake United Charity Fund donated $500 to Paynesville Area Health Care System. The money helped finance a new defibrillator for the Paynesville Area Ambulance Service.
PAHCS applied for a Minnesota Rural Hospital Planning and Transition Grant. Fifteen hospital systems applied for the grant. Eight systems were approved, but PAHCS was not given a grant. The money would have been used for renovations at the Richmond clinic.
There is over $7,000 available in PAHCS's employee loan program. Administrative assistant Renae Nordmann said she had four people on a waiting list for employee loans. One person no longer works for PAHCS. Two have received grants. One may be interested in a PAHCS loan. Nordmann is expecting an application from this person.
Hospital administrator William LaCroix discussed the Nov. 19 Joint Management Committee meeting. Lois Johnson, one of two nurse practitioners at PAHCS, submitted her resignation. She will work with family planning in Willmar.
Two new city council members were elected in Richmond. LaCroix brought them up-to-date with district information. Pat Evans, Richmond's mayor, will put the question of Richmond's joining the hospital district on the council's agenda after Jan. 1.
There is a clinic in Richmond, but the city is not part of the district. The current facility needs renovations. The board may decide to build a new facility rather than renovate. If the city of Richmond were part of the district, they could have a voice in what happens with their clinic. Member townships and cities do not support the district through taxes.
The Richmond and Eden Valley clinics will not stock drugs any more. Since Eden Valley and Richmond don't have pharmacies, these clinics carried prescriptions. This is no longer profitable for the district, since agencies like Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Preferred One don't consider the clinics pharmacies, so they won't reimburse the district for these drugs.
The Joint Management Committee discussed moonlighting again. Instead of suggesting that PAHCS physicians travel to other area hospitals on weekends, LaCroix suggested they work extra hours during the week either in Paynesville or in one of the other clinics.
PAHCS physicians are only contracted to work four days per week. They are also on call some weekends. With this proposal, they wouldn't have to work extra weekends. They'd just work more hours during the week.
In other business, the board:
* Approved the addition of Dr James Anderson, Dr. Hoang Nguyen and Dr. David Roberts to the consulting staff.
* Approved the October bills.
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