GRANTS, N.M. — The Cibola General Hospital board Oct. 26 teleconferencing meeting dealt with various topics including the proposed contract with Cibola County. The board created an ad hoc committee in September to review and revise the proposal. The committee, which included Board Chair Eileen Chavez Yarborough, Vice Chair Kendra Brown, and member Joan Gilmore, worked with CGH administration and legal counsel on terms of the proposed lease and healthcare facilities’ agreement, which includes a codicil. The board and hospital officials discussed the topic again last month during closed session. Thomas Whelan, CEO, noted that the proposed contract will be submitted to the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration this month for approval and to the county commission.
CEO
Whelan said that another applicant for the clinic practice manager position has been interviewed. The candidate was recently laid off from a Santa Fe organization because of employee down-sizing, according to the CEO.
He announced that two people were honored as Employee of the Month: Angela Foreman, patient financial services, and Pat Valdez, Cibola Family Health Center, who has “catapulted herself into operating all aspects of the clinic since Sunni Patel’s departure.”
Nursing
The hospital continues to rely on contract staff to fill five nursing positions including one in the ICU, according to Co-Chief Nursing Officers Maria Atencio and Glenna Losito. The hospital recorded four fall-free patient days and a one percent re-admission rate, which includes “all causes,” during September.
The Emergency Department cared for 641 people compared to 850 during September 2019.
“We are seeing higher acuity patients and “a lot of behavioral health issues as is the rest of the nation,” reported the Co-CNOs.
Financial report
Editor’s note: The monthly report by Jim Hermes, interim chief financial officer, was not available prior to the Nov. 4 publication deadline.
Public participation in CGH board meetings
Officials utilized Webex, a telecommunication application, for board members and hospital staff; the public was able to access the meeting via telephone conferencing.
“Due to the national, state, and county COVID-19 declared emergency and public health order dated June 1, 2020 limiting gatherings to less than 5 persons, the meeting will not be physically open to the public, but the public will be able to participate and listen to the meeting via conference line at 5:30 p.m. at the designated dates,” according to the hospital website. The conference line for board meetings is 505-287-5228.
Next meeting
Monday,Nov. 23, hospital boardroom, 1016 E. Roosevelt Ave., Grants, 5:30 p.m.
Call 505-287-5208 or visit cibolahospital.com for additional information.