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Bowdle healthcare center posts mixed finances; council approves rate increases and staff appointments
Summary
The Bowdle City Council reviewed February financials for the Bowdle Healthcare Center showing a facilitywide monthly profit of $35,596.64 but significant year-to-date shortfalls in hospital, nursing home and clinic operations. The council approved personnel changes, room-rate increases and a slate of medical staff reappointments and accepted hospital payables.
Brooke Heilman, representing the Bowdle Healthcare Center, presented the facility’s February 2025 financial statements at the April 7 council meeting. Heilman reported a facilitywide monthly profit of $35,596.64 and a year-to-date profit of $52,813.65, while underlying operations showed continued stress: the hospital had a reported year-to-date loss of $(263,500.31), the nursing home showed a monthly loss of $(33,139.26) and a YTD loss of $(120,723.85), and the clinic reported a monthly loss of $(37,371.79) and a YTD loss of $(141,286.64). Heilman said hospital acute days were steady, swing-bed and long-term care utilization were down, outpatient visits were down, ancillary services were up and rehab services remained strong.
On a motion by Rex Gab, seconded by Darryn Barnhardt, the council approved personnel changes presented by Heilman, which included new hires Josie Knutson (LTC PT), Samantha Geditz (Hospital PRN) and Kennadi Aman (LTC PT), and a five-year step wage adjustment for Elizabeth Stotz. The council also approved room-rate increases on a motion by Margaret Bobby, seconded by Amber Shaykett: nursing home rates will increase by $10 per day for each level; acute rates were increased from 3428.00 to 3565.00 (approximately 4%); swing-bed rates were increased from 974.00 to 1013.00 (approximately 4%). All motions carried with unanimous votes by the seven council members present.
The council approved adding Roland Holcomb, MD, as a new Avera radiology practitioner and reappointed a roster of Avera eCare and Avera-affiliated telemedicine providers and advanced-practice clinicians to two-year medical-staff terms on a motion by Margaret Bobby, seconded by Darryn Barnhardt. The approved reappointments included Xavier Andrade-Gonzales, MD; Grant Jaspers, MD; Waqas Jehangir, MD; Feliz Junge, CNP; Jessica Slaba, CNP; Ashley Van Hill, DNP; Shristi Upadhyay Banskato, MD; Andres Mendez-Hernandez, MD; and Kaylee Runge, CNP.
Councilors also reviewed and approved hospital payroll and payment-of-claims for March, which included large line items such as Noridian Administrative ($167,000.00) and multiple Avera-related charges and pharmacy and diagnostic invoices. The payments list was presented as part of the healthcare center’s consent items and approved on the record.
The council briefly entered an executive session on a motion by Darryn Barnhardt, seconded by Rex Gab; the meeting minutes record that the executive session was "called at 8:00pm" and ended at "7:33pm," an internal inconsistency in the minutes that the council may wish to correct in its official record.
The meeting adjourned at 9:20 p.m.
