Spokane Shriners Hospital for Children Report
Board of Governor Member Brian Schierer
Shriners Hospital System
Total of all Hospital budgets submitted for 2020 is 992 M. (million) compared against the projected Endowment funds earnings of 820 M. The Shriners Joint Boards has to alter our system to eliminate the short fall. Spokane’s draw on the endowment fund is only 5M.
Spokane was validated and approved by two separate consulting firms and our Joint Boards to be a micro hospital and continue to expand our clinics, which follows their mandate of helping more kids in more places, for less cost. Spokane has been very successful and continues to grow in clinics and patients.
We have now been asked to consider all other operational options, such as a joining with adjacent hospital, becoming a day surgery only clinic and numerous other formats. As a Spokane board member I really do not know what our Home Office and Joint Boards overall plan is
I also have concerns that, during this time of austerity, Home Office has decided to add another layer of administration. They are developing region directors for the hospital’s marketing and communication. All of the 6 Hospitals in the western have different patient base. L.A. and Hawaii have no similarities to Spokane.
Patient Numbers
Spokane, prior to Covid, was averaging over 400 new patients a month. We have always been in the top 4 for new patients with in our hospital system.
We have also seen a 54% increase in sports medicine surgeries. We have recruited a second pediatric sports medicine surgeon to meet the increasing patient demand.
Joint Federal and State Hospital Compliance Survey
All Hospitals in the US are surveyed yearly for deficiencies. Spokane was just surveyed and we were found to have 6 observations of correction. The average for any hospital is 34 observations. Kudos goes out to our staff for a job well done.
Hospital Remodel
We have remodeled our third floor clinic rooms. Not only will give us more rooms, they will be better quipped and reduce patients wait times by streamlining our process and decreasing virus exposure.
Covid 19 Renders Some Positive Results
Surgeries Most pediatric surgeries tend to be medically essential and are not purely elective. 60 surgeries were performed in March. WA.State restrictions will be removed by the end of May and we will back to pre-scheduling regular surgeries.
Newly installed covid surgical anesthesiology procedures have increased our O.R. times by at least 1 hour per patient.
Lay Offs Home Office made 2 very positive moves by reimbursing our employee’s holiday time, if it was used for pay, when they were laid off. Employees can now bank their holiday hours and go directly to unemployment insurance.
Home Office has also continued everyone’s Health Insurance.
Financials Spokane was designated, under state emergency procedures; to handle all bone fractures in the greater Spokane area. This action kept our personnel busy, reduced lay offs and allowed us to bill for the procedure. We are now billing for our expanded telehealth program .
We have been able to cover 60% of our operating costs.
TeleHealth The covid virus forced us to immediately expand our telemedicine program, for patient care, and billing procedures.
2 Canadian patients have had virtual visits from their respective surgeons.
