Salem Township Hospital President Kendra Taylor says after a terrible start, the hospital ended its fiscal year on March 31st in the black.
She recapped the recovery after Wednesday’s hospital board meeting.
“To start off last year with a bottom line of $800,000 loss so to be able to close out the fiscal year with a positive bottom line with just under $500,000 we are going to call this a very positive year. Although it’s down from our previous fiscal year, we’ve just really are grateful for the support of the community and been able to return the volumes after the lockdown.”
Taylor is also pleased with the start of several new services.
“Been able to expand some of our services like Behavioral Health. We’ve added Orthopedics and Pain and Spine so we have still been able to try and navigate all of the complexities with the pandemic like briefing out tele-health services and all the things that go with that.”
Taylor was also pleased that despite the challenges of COVID-19 they were able to reach their patient satisfaction goal of 85-percent. The hospital completed the
fiscal year with an 85.1-percent rating. Taylor says she is proud of the staff for all of their efforts.
The hospital sold 857 low cost blood test vouchers at the March drive-through event. Taylor says the number documents how much the community relies on the voucher sales. She notes everyone was appreciative the hospital continues to offer the service.
Taylor says the number seeking COVID-19 vaccine has dropped off, but the two shot Moderna vaccine remains available by appointment only through the hospital. She reports health care officials will be working to encourage more people to get the vaccine.
The board was told the trend towards more uninsured patients continues to grow, with that group owing the hospital $9.6-million.
