Island Health approves CEO annual review, passes resolutions
Island Health’s commission received an update on the hospital district’s finances and 2024 priorities, passed two resolutions and approved CEO Elise Cutter’s annual review at their Feb. 22 meeting.
Jan. Financial Performance
CFO Julie Stewart provided January’s financial update to the hospital board. Outpatient outpaced inpatient volumes, 86% to 14% respectively.
“… which is the lowest for impatient that I’ve seen in a while,” Stewart said at the Feb. 22 meeting.
Cutter told the Anacortes American January snowstorms contributed to the decrease in patient volumes.
Additionally, Island Health saw an operational loss of $416,000, but their cash on hand still rose from the previous month to 158 days. While their was an operational loss, Island Health’s excess margin was in the positives, landing at $533,000.
Resolutions
Island Health’s elected officials unanimously passed two resolutions at their Feb. 22 meeting unanimously, one of which through their consent agenda.
A resolution was passed to surplus capital equipment, while another approved a small works roster for the entity. A small works roster is updated by Island Health annually and includes a list of vendors generated and maintained by the Municipal Research and Services Center, according to Cutter.
Clinical Advancements
Island Health CCO Tammy Needham gave the entity’s board a clinic update at their Feb. 22 meeting.
The efforts are meant to strive for excellent care despite the hospital’s smaller size, according to Needham.
“We are advancing diabetes care here,” she said. “One of those ways is allowing patients who have home insulin pumps to use those while they’re in the hospital.”
Additionally, Island Health completed training on transfusion protocols, which have gone live at the hospital this month. Part of the new protocol involves the use of ultrasound for IV placements, which will help healthcare successfully place an IV on their first attempt, according to Needham.
Looking forward, the hospital will continue new training for healthcare staff, which will include training for inpatient nurses in cryotherapy, and provide physical therapy for patients that have had total joint replacements prior to discharge.
“We have the goal to advance care here tenuously and to make sure that we are meeting the standard of care in the area, and also that we are working from evidence, using evidence-based practice,” Needham said.
Award Recognition for Employee Wellness
Near the meeting’s end, Island Health’s leader of their Morale and Recognition Committee told the hospital district’s board their program has been awarded a Zo8 award from the Department of Health for an eighth consecutive year.
Cutter told the American Island Health is excited to have their employee wellness program recognized as one of the best in the state.
“That was kind of a big deal,” she said.
Superintendent Annual Review Vote
Prior to the adjournment of the Feb. 22 meeting, Island Health’s commission retreated into executive session. Upon their return to the meeting, the body voted unanimously to accept their CEO’s, Cutter, annual review with a 4% salary increase.
Published on February 28, 2024