HMH Board of Directors March Meeting

Tuesday, Howard Memorial Hospital Board of Directors held their regular monthly meeting. 

Dr. John Hearnsberger presented the reappointments whose files were in order and approved by medical staff. Those reappointments were Dr. LaShundra Watson who will be doing Emergency Services and Nurse Practitioner Alexandria Davis. The board approved a motion to accept Dr Hearnsberger recommendation. 

COO Stacy Harberson reported that Hannah Sullivan accepted the Radiology Director position. Harberson stated that Sullivan has been filling this role in an interim capacity and they are very excited that she accepted it permanently. Harberson also informed the board that the ABUS was included in the 2024 capital budget and will be a new service line for HMH. According to her report, the ABUS will help to find cancers sooner due to the way the test is performed and the images it provides. 

Harberson even mentioned that they applied for a grant through the Arkansas Department of Health to increase enrollment for priority populations in counties with high prevalence of diabetes but low or no access to existing diabetes self-management education and support which will HMH to expand these services beyond Howard County and into Pike, Hempstead, Sevier, Little River, Polk, and Montgomery Counties.

CFO Bill Craig updated the board on the status of the UHC Medicare Advantage Plans. Craig stated that UHC owed a balance of $270,000 dollars and he was able to do some research and was able to speak with the Vice President of UHC on behalf of their region and explained to the VP the work he’s done on trying to get HMH paid correctly. Craig said the Vice President responded back to him and stated that UHC is moving HMH’s underpayment from their claims process division to their settlement division. Craig went on to say that the Vice President told him once they review his calculations, UHC will send a contract back to Craig along with him agreeing that he will take the lump sum identified in the contract.

In conclusion of his report, Craig said that he looked and anticipated where HMH volume was going to be by the end of March. Craig said that these high-level indicators will be above budget the average daily census, outpatient visits, surgery cases, and the ED Visits. Craig said this will be great for the hospital and just in time for the 6-month mark of the sustainability plan.