SUMMARY MINUTES
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
County Commissioner Chambers/ Zoom
December 8, 2022 @ 4:00 PM
TRUSTEES: Allen Jones (via Zoom) Barb Bodnar
Ann Marie McCrystal Marybeth Cunningham
Karen Deigl Kerry Bartlett
STAFF: Kate Voss Jennifer Frederick
Ann Marie Suriano Dawn Carboni
Jennifer Peshke, Esq
ZOOM: Anne Posey
ATTENDEES: William Cooney Carol Kanarek
Vicki Soule Marie Andress
Michael Kint Matt Reiser
Convene Meeting & Approval of Consent Agenda– Marybeth Cunningham, Chair
Ms. Cunningham convened the regular monthly meeting of the IRCHD at 4:00 PM. Pastor Joe Moore, River of Living Waters Rhema Word Ministries provided the invocation and Ms. Bartlett led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. Ms. Cunningham asked for a motion to approve the consent agenda which was made by Mrs. McCrystal and seconded by Ms. Deigl. The motion carried unanimously.
Chairmans Report- Marybeth Cunningham, Chair
Ms. Cunningham stated that in October the board was informed of Dr. Rosencrance resignation from CCIRH effective December 31st. She explained that it was just announced that Dr. Peter has been named interim President of CCIRH, while they search for a permanent replacement. Additionally, they also received notice from the Mental Health Collaborative that Brett Hall is resigning as Executive Director. It was discussed that he has accepted a position as clinical director with a newly formed substance abuse treatment facility in Indian River County. Mr. Hall will continue to serve the community and they wish him the best on his future endeavors. Lastly, Ms. Cunningham explained that she and Ms. Suriano will be joining a few other members from the Mental Health Collaborative to conduct a site visit of a women’s sober living facility in South Florida. The group is hopeful that this visit will provide insight to its operations and provide reference for a future facility in Indian River County.
District Counsel Report- Jennifer Peshke, Esq.
Ms. Peshke provided her report and stated that she has been working to obtain bonds for the newly elected Trustees and will forward copies of the issued bonds to the District offices. She is also working to cancel the existing bonds for the outgoing Trustees. Additionally, she has been working with District staff to prepare for the incoming Trustee orientation where she will review all District matters with the newly elected Trustees and answer any questions they may have before they take office on January 1, 2023. Further, the District received the Notice of Intent to Vacate from the VNA concerning their use of the HSB, which was in compliance with the requirements of the lease. Representatives from CCIRH have expressed their interest in utilizing the property and Ms. Peshke is working to draft correspondence requesting a proposal outlining their future intentions. She will provide the Trustees with further updates when they become available. Lastly, she is working with Ms. Frederick and representatives from GlobeChek to finalize their funding agreement for FY 22-23.
Mrs. McCrystal stated for the record that the VNA is not ceasing operations, but are moving their offices to another location and will continue to support the community.
Financial Statement Review- Allen Jones, Treasurer
Mr. Jones provided his Treasurer’s report and stated The District remains in sound financial condition. As of November 30, the District had deposits and investments totaling $14.8 million and received over $7 million in tax receipts of the $11.2 million budgeted for the fiscal year. Subtracting the funds just approved for the December disbursements, the District’s liquid assets are approximately $14 million. Mr. Jones reiterated that the District’s millage rate of a little over half a mill, is down 48% since FY 2016. However, despite this decline in millage, healthcare providers supported by the District in the county are budgeted to receive over $5 million allowing them to provide more healthcare services for IRC residents than in 2016. In addition, CCIRH reported providing over $13 million in indigent care in the last 12 months. Lastly, he explained that yesterday at the Chairman’s meeting, the District voted to approve and will implement a laddered investment program through its investment advisor, Deep Blue. They will now be providing monthly liquidity to cover operating expenses beginning in March, 2023, with all investments being in U.S. Treasury bills. It is projected the District will earn over $500,000 in combined interest during the next 12 months offsetting much of the administrative expense to operate the District.
Executive Director Report- Ann Marie Suriano, Executive Director
Ms. Suriano stated that the District has officially filled the Financial Assistance Specialist position and stated that Kaytlin Dickens has been hired and will begin her duties on December 12. Next, she explained that because the District’s regular monthly meeting occurred a week before its normal time, the Deep Blue investment statements were not included in the monthly financial report. She provided those figures and stated that the District received $20,494 in additional interest which was not reflected on the November financial statement. Ms. Cunningham felt it was important to note that prior to Mr. Jones, the District had never invested its funds and only collected a small amount of interest payments. Through his expertise, the District has been able to gain additional revenues to offset administrative costs and provide further community support.
Funded Agencies Semi Annual Reports-
Whole Family Health Center- Marie Andress, CEO
Ms. Andress provided the Trustees with an update concerning WFHC. She began by providing a review of the funding utilization for the last year. She explained that visits have declined due to varying factors including difficulty in qualifying patients. She also reviewed data concerning the billings invoiced to the District which had increased slightly. Next, she reviewed and discussed their program quality measures which had improved. She then discussed how their services positively impacted the community and stated that they established 3,500 new patients this year and recruited 4 additional new providers. WFHC also continues to be a resource of COVID, HIV, and STI testing and treatment. Additionally, Dr. Pierone continues to conduct his clinical research studies. She also provided an update concerning the GlobeChek pilot program and reviewed data regarding patients scanned, issues identified and the findings. She then discussed some challenges they were experiencing concerning follow up care for the screened patients. There was Trustee discussion and it was suggested that a meeting be held with representatives from GlobeChek, the District and WFHC to discuss these challenges and work towards solutions for the best continuum of care for the patient.
TCCH- Vicki Soule, CEO
Ms. Soule provided the Trustees with an update concerning TCCH. She began by discussing highlights and recognitions from the last fiscal year. She stated that TCCH received recognition from HRSA in August for being an access enhancer for addressing social risk factors and in September received accreditation by the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Services. They have also acquired 2 acres of land next to their Oslo location for clinical expansion. Additionally, they have completed their transition of the EHR system to EPIC. Next, she reviewed clinical advances within their practices which included the hiring of a certified diabetes nurse educator. They have also hired a certified wound care specialist and began a full vision program with their grant from impact 100. She then discussed their partnership with GlobeChek and stated that TCCH will begin offering screenings 5 days a week, rotating weekly at one of their sites. Their anticipated volume is approximately 4,800 adults annually. Further they have partnered with the IRC Sheriff office to provide healthcare services to all inmates at the IRC jail. Lastly, she discussed some challenges that the organization has faced this last year, with the first being staffing and competitive wages. Additionally, they are also struggling to maintain adequate clinic space for the volume of patients they are seeing. Their Foundation is working to combat this issue and as discussed earlier, they have acquired additional land at their Oslo location for a future clinic expansion.
New Business- Approval of Resolution 2022-04 & 2022-05
Mrs. Cunningham stated that it is a somber occasion as two Trustees will not be continuing their service on the board. Therefore, she asked for a motion to approve Resolution 2022-04 which recognized Mrs. McCrystal for her dedication and service to the IRCHD Board of Trustees. Ms. Bartlett made the motion which was seconded by Ms. Deigl, and the motion carried unanimously. Mrs. McCrystal addressed the group and spoke of her gratitude and appreciation relative to serving on the board. She thanked the other Trustees for their continued work to support the community. Next, Mrs. Cunningham asked for a motion to approve Resolution 2022-05 which recognized Mr. Jones for his dedication and service to the IRCHD Board of Trustees. Ms. Bodnar made the motion which was seconded by Ms. McCrystal, and the motion carried unanimously. Mr. Jones addressed the group and spoke of his gratitude and appreciation relative to serving on the board. He also thanked the other Trustees for their continued work to support the community.
Public Comment/Adjourn
Mr. Bill Stengel of the VNA Board stated that he would like to offer his gratitude and thanks to Mrs. McCrystal for her service and contributions to the District. He knows that she will continue to be a pillar in this community for years to come. Mr. Kint also addressed the board and recognized Mrs. McCrystal for her dedication to the board and for encouraging him to run for the seat on the board of Trustees. He also recognized Mr. Jones for his work and looks forward to taking office in January to serve the citizens of Indian River County. There was no further public comment and the meeting was adjourned at 5:30 PM
