WINNSBORO – Although Fairfield Memorial Hospital is still losing money, Chief Finance Officer Timothy Mitchell told the FMH Board last week that there are some positive signs in September in that the adjusted operating loss of $156,932 for the month was $194,830 less than operating losses for the month of August. Average daily gross revenues also ticked up to $45,227 in September from $35,670 in August.
However, while the hospital has cut operating expenses by about $1.1 million in fiscal year 2017, gross patient service revenues were down by almost $2.3 million, twice as much.
ER admissions for the fiscal year, which ended September 30, were almost in line with those from last year – 7,606 in 2017 compared to 7,947 in 2016. All other outpatient admissions were slightly higher in 2017 – 6,801 compared to 6,635 in 2016.
Whether this trend will continue is uncertain, since Blue Granite Medical Center, which historically has lost money for the hospital, also lost its full-time nurse practitioner in October. Suzanne Doscher, FMH CEO, reported that the hospital has worked out an arrangement with the two nurse practitioners currently on staff in the emergency room to offer services at Blue Granite Medical Center on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Doscher also reported that she has met with the management of Eau Claire Medical Center to discuss renting some office space at FMH to Eau Claire.
The Board also went into executive session last Tuesday night in order to discuss and receive legal advice on “proposed contractual matters related to the Providence Hospital Freestanding Emergency Department Project (and) the by-laws of the FMH Board of Trustees.” No vote taken after the Board came out of executive session.