Boulder City Bill Speaks Out:

Boulder City Hospital searching for a lifeline

Wednesday, April 22, 2009 | 4:51 p.m.

Bill Erin

Lost in the debates about Boulder City problems during the primary elections was the Boulder City Hospital. This was to be expected, because it is not a city government problem. The hospital is an independent, nonprofit organization run by a foundation and a board of local people.

But while it is not a city government problem, it is a city problem. How much of a problem depends on your viewpoint as was shown recently when voters overwhelmingly defeated an attempt to get some tax help for the financially struggling organization.

I visited the current hospital administrator, Tom Maher.

"How is the hospital doing?" I asked.

"Not well," he answered. "In the first quarter of this year, compared to the first quarter of last year, we are down 20 percent. For the seven consecutive months before that, we suffered losses equivalent to a 15 percent drop. We have had to lay off 19 people, and we have cut a million dollars from our operating budget."

Maher explained that the hospital's heaviest losses were in the emergency room department, a primary source of income for the hospital. He blamed the economy for this, pointing out that people had cut down on more discretionary visits to the emergency room, no longer having the disposable income they once had.

Now the administrators are vitally concerned about the possibility of the state Legislature cutting Medicaid, the other vital source of income for the hospital, with its long-term care facilities.

During the campaign to establish a tax district, Maher had said that without help, the hospital would have to close within four years. I asked him if that still held true.

"Not that long with the current losses," he said. "Our reserves are down to about one year."

He explained that the hospital has changed JoAnn Highsmith's duties to that of fund development manager. She will be trying to generate volunteer donations from residents and looking into available grants.

Asked if he thought the hospital would make another run at a tax district, Maher couldn't comment either way. He said the board has it on the table, but it depends on current developments and how their efforts work out.

So if Highsmith comes knocking at your door, show the spirit of those early BCers who saved a hospital for you. Open your purse strings to help save this hospital for your children and those who come behind you.

Bill Erin is a Boulder City News columnist.

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By bclady

April 23, 2009

12:54 p.m.

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For the past few years, it seems as if the hospital has been struggling, even before our current recession. I'm just wondering why the hospital didn't face similar issues in the past. What has changed? I think maybe it's time that the community became involved, looked at the management and the numbers - are they even available for public view? The newspaper snippets we receive don't give the full picture of the financials. If the hospital is open to asking for contributions from the city, it should be more than willing to let citizens look at how the money is being spent and accept the community's input.
By bcnewbie

April 24, 2009

1:01 a.m.

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Boulder City Hospital was "turned over to citizen control" in 1954. Apparently, at some point we lost control. Is it viable for the City of Boulder City to step in and create the ability for citizens to vote with regard to members of The Board of Trustees or other offices within the hospital or Foundation? Mr. Maher indicates that revenues are down due to a decline in "discretionary visits" to the emergency room. Emergency rooms are for emergencies, not discretionary visits. At one time there was an outpatient clinic that operated within the hospital and was staffed by the attending emergency room physician and nurses. This clinic offered non-emergency, after hour care to our community as a service to the residents. Could this possibly help revenue? I am sure it would be of benefit to the community. Boulder City residents have always prided themselves on helping organizations within the community in their time of need. In that same spirit, the Boulder City Hospital Board of Trustees, Administration and Foundation should know that the community of Boulder City has a need to understand the entire financial and operating procedures of their hospital before they write the check. Is The Board of Trustees separate from The Foundation and, how many board members are also members of The Foundation? Three according to Boulder City Hospital's website. Are separate financial records kept for each non-profit (hospital and foundation) and, how much money transfers from one entity to another and, in what direction? This really is quite a dilemma. The hospital web site tells us that the Foundation is a 501(c) (3) organization established in 1995, whose purpose is to raise funds for capital equipment and improvements to the non-profit Boulder City Hospital. So, there are two separate entities. I think both organizations have fiduciary responsibility to Boulder City residents. This is just too important to our families and our neighbors and friends who, heaven forbid, should ever need emergency services. Our residents knew this in 1954 when they went door to door to raise the $15,000.00 necessary to keep the operation running. I do not want to see the hospital close. I urge the members of The Board and Foundation to educate the community with full disclosure. Mr. Maher states that 19 employees were laid off AND $1,000,000.00 was "cut from the operating budget". How does a hospital of Boulder City's size cut, in one year, $1,000,000.00 from the operating budget? News travels quickly in our little town and I know that many of the lay offs were among residents of Boulder City. This hospital's own mission statement reads "Boulder City Hospital is deeply committed to the community". I, for one, am disappointed in their commitment.