Arequest for an additional $44,879 for Hutton Construction to complete a proposed hospital flooring replacement project was approved at the July 19 meeting of the Ellsworth County Medical Center Board.

The hospital already has a $134,705 grant for the three-phase project.

However, due to possible supply shortages, it was thought best that all materials needed for the $179,584 total project should be ordered at one time, so the additional funds were needed now.

Chief Executive Officer Jim Kirkbride said the new flooring will replace the carpet in the hospital’s main long hallway as well as in the inpatient and outpatient areas, the departments and the emergency room.

In other business:

• Kirkbride said June saw a drop in patient encounters across the board compared to the prior month. In June, the hospital had just 21 inpatient days compared to 55 in May, 21 swing bed days in June compared to 32 in May, 189 emergency room visits in June compared to 205 in May, 1,253 outpatient visits in June compared to 1,209 in May and 1,140 clinic encounters in June compared to 1,346 in May.

The hospital’s actual gross revenue for June exceeded budgeted expectations by $170,000, but actual operating expenses exceeded budgeted expectations by $105,894.

• Human Resources Director Christa Bohnen said the hospital lost two employees in June, one full-time and one part-time. However, the hospital also hired five new employees and is now fully-staffed in food service. A new director of facilities management was also hired.

• After a 15-minute executive session to discuss non-elected personnel (appointments and reappointments) the board approved privileges for two providers — Dr. Josh Bahr, a new physician who will work an occasional weekend then join ECMC in late summer of 2024 and Ediomie (Edee) Enebong, ARPN.

Enebong is providing telepsych appointments in the Ellsworth Rural Health Clinic on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The board also approved reprivileging Dr. Jason Hoke, a physician with holistic pain management.

• No action was taken after a 30-minute executive session to discuss non-elected personnel (employment contracts). The next meeting of the ECMC Board will be at 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 16, in the hospital conference room.