Memorial Medical Center's CEO Answers FAQs, Part 1
Monday, April 17th, 2017 -- 9:54 AM
-Why do we need a new hospital when population is declining? I don’t want my taxes going up because of a new hospital? I thought you were broke? …are just a few common voice mails that Memorial Medical Center’s CEO, Ryan Neville, receives on a regular basis.Since becoming the CEO in 2014, they’ve launched 5 year strategic plan to provide high quality healthcare locally and MMC will best reach this goal with a new facility. Why a new facility? Memorial Hospital Inc. was erected in 1954 by then President of the Board Herbert M. Smith and funded federally through the Hill Burton Act of 1946 to expand services to low populated communities. Medicine at that time was delivered predominantly through inpatient care. Patients routinely would be admitted, diagnosed and treated spanning over several days or weeks and insurance companies dictating care was non-existent. It was common for MMC to be at capacity with its 34 hospital beds and 198 nursing home beds.
Today through advances in technology, specialty care and insurance oversight, care is delivered mostly on an outpatient basis. In 2016, 94% of patient volume at MMC was delivered as an outpatient however the majority of our square footage is designated for hospital use. On a daily basis, MMC experiences a shortage of clinic and procedure rooms but have empty inpatient beds. Regulations do not allow us to utilize hospital designated space for outpatient space and the cost to remodel and meet new codes would be cost prohibited.
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