Hospital touts new physicians, increased revenues

New physicians and the new clinic in Licking were a highlight of the July Texas County Memorial Hospital board meeting.

Helania Wulff, TCMH physician recruiter, invited board members to an open house for Kristina Grant, DO, family medicine and obstetrics physician, from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20 in the Medical Office Complex in Houston.

Grant is a board-certified family medicine physician who sees patients of all ages from birth through the end of life. She will also provide obstetrics at TCMH.

Grant relocated to Houston with her husband, Jordan, in July. They have two sons, Ethan and Liam, who will attend Houston Middle and Elementary School.

“We are honored that Dr. Grant has joined our TCMH family and community,” Bill Bridges, chief executive officer, said. “Her passionate commitment to patient care makes her a valuable addition to our health care system.”

Linda Pamperien, TCMH chief financial officer, presented the July financials, which reflected an increase of $474,358 in overall revenues from budgeted monthly expectations.

“Our inpatient volumes increased $115,843, an 8.9 percent increase, and our outpatient revenue increased $372,866, a 5.7 percent increase from our budgeted monthly expectations,” Pamperien said.

The hospital had 83 admissions in July, up 79 admissions from the same time frame in 2023.

According to Pamperien, monthly expenses were down $207,949 at TCMH., a 5.7 percent decrease.

The financial report reflected that the hospital’s profit/loss report showed a positive bottom line for July, with an increase of $1,592 and a year-to-date increase of $139,569. The earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization (EBIDA) for the respective month were positive at $260,033, and the year-to-date EBIDA was positive at $1,577,357.

Bridges noted that the Licking Family Clinic grand opening went well, with a great turnout and support from the community.

Clinic staff began seeing patients July 15. Whitney Hall, PA, is the main health care provider in the clinic. Hall sees patients of all ages from birth to the end of life and provides prenatal care for patients, delivering with Dr. Tricia Benoist at TCMH.

Amanda Lemp, DO, a family medicine and obstetrics physician, will move to the area and begin work at the TCMH Family Clinic in Licking later this month. Lemp will see patients of all ages and provide obstetric care.

Bridges and board member Ross Richardson will attend the Federal Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C., in September. The conference, organized each year by the Missouri Hospital Association, provides health care leaders with the opportunity to meet with federal legislators.

“We look forward to the conference to speak about our health care priorities and advocate for our community,” Bridges said.

In other board meeting news, Courtney Owens, TCMH chief nursing officer, reported that the hospital has met all the yearly requirements to retain the National Certified Gold-Level Safe Sleep certification.

“We are proud of everyone’s hard work and dedication to following the safe sleep guidelines,” Owens said. It is a privilege to be one of the few independent, rural hospitals with gold certification in the United States, as this program profoundly saves babies’ lives.”

Bridges reported the official relocation of the Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation departments from the annex building behind the hospital to the hospital’s south side. The department utilizes the former surgery department, providing additional cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation equipment space.

Dr. William Wright, who provides clinical services for children with autism, will soon be relocating from the Medical Office Complex to the TCMH Office Annex, where he will see patients.

Present at the meeting were Bridges; Pamperien; Wulff; Owens; April Crites, quality and risk management; Trica Benoist, MD, chief of staff; Lydia Dixon, student intern; and board members Jim Perry, OD; Ross Richardson; Joleen Durham; and Jennifer Hugenot.

The next meeting of the TCMH board of trustees is at noon Tuesday, Aug. 27 in the hospital board room.

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