Health System on the rebound from coronavirus financial crisis

DAYTON–The Columbia County Health System (CCHS) reports experiencing near normal volumes of activity in the clinics and hospital facilities at the July board meeting.

"June was a return to near normal volumes, with the system falling short of budget by only $174,854, which can happen in any month, as things come back after the initial COVID response," said CEO Shane McGuire.

Health District Controller Tom Meyers stated the financial report reflects improvements since the reopening at the CCHS. The emergency department experienced 131 more visits in June, and increase of 209 more swing bed patient days and expenses rallied close to normal. "This is an improvement and reflects that we are 'reopening' at CCHS," said Meyers. "In June, Emergency Department visits rose from nine to 140. Swing bed patients increased to 258 patient days, which is an increase of 49 days. Operation expenses were very close to normal which does reflect more normal operations." Increases in lab and x-ray, as well as clinic and therapy visits were also reported by Meyers.

Plans for the Assisted Living Project will be presented to the Board next month with groundbreaking expected in February and completion in July of 2021. "Roughly a year from now we could have three brand new buildings across the parking lot and people in them," stated McGuire.

He also spoke of the Dental Service Project in context of the Assisted Living Project in saying that "The contractor also knows about our Dental Project and says, 'If I'm already building three buildings and I've already got a crew on site, what's one more building?' So, he also wants to take a run at maybe the Dental Project." McGuire said that he is planning on public input to help name the Assisted Living Project, perhaps in the form of a poll.

CCHS is looking at establishing step down Intensive Care Units by upgrading rooms for sicker patients with more equipment and more pumps with use of Medical Gas and Suction, as well as Medical Air which provides pure, filtered air using generator-backed outlets, for care of those with COVID or other respiratory illness. This would be done using CARES funds. This will be discussed more at the August Board Meeting.