During a relatively short meeting March 15, Ellsworth County Medical Center Executive Director Jim Kirkbride told members of the hospital board the county is still listed as low for COVID-19 cases and the hospital continues not to require visitors to wear masks, however, those dealing directly with patients are required to be masked.

In other business:

• Executive Director of Human Resources Christa Bohnen said five employees left the hospital in February. Two of those resigned, one retired and two were involuntarily separated.

Bohnen there was a slight decline in PRN (as needed) employee turnover for February, from 28.7 to 28.1.

• Executive director of finance Charles Lewing said ECMC had a very low patience census for February but was still slightly higher in actual gross revenue at $2,047,785, versus the budgeted gross revenue for the month of $1,893,111. He said the hospital also recovered $60,000 in bad debts in February. Lewing said the 340B discount prescription drug program had an actual revenue in February of $28,291 versus the budgeted amount for the month of $11,110.

• Kirkbride said he interviewed an internal medicine physician candidate who is Czech. He is also going to interview a nurse practitioner candidate March 16.

The next meeting of the Ellsworth County Medical Center board of directors will be at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, in the hospital conference room.