Nothing unusual. That is how Ellsworth County Medical Center Chief Exeutive Officer Jim Kirkbride described the current state of seasonal illnesses in Ellsworth County during a report at the Dec. 20 hospital board meeting.

Kirkbride said flu cases have dropped off and the hospital is seeing just an occasional flu and COVID-19 case.

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Kirkbride said.

In other business:

• Kirkbride said ECMC continues to see fewer turnovers in staff, with just one recently.

“We’re starting to get back to normal with the percentages,” he said.

• Approval was given to the policy review as presented.

• Executive Director of Finance Charles Lewing said November was not a bad month for the hospital financially. He noted the hospital had a net revenue of $1.6 million for the month and operating expenses dropped.

Lewing said ECMC ended up favorable for November to the tune of $433,000 and was a little above break even from operations.

Lewing said statistically, the hospital didn’t have a bad month. While inpatient days dropped slightly from 63 in October to 55 in November, swing bed days increased from 15 in October to 54 in November. Observation admissions also increased from 11 in October to 20 in November.

Emergency room visits dropped slightly from 214 in October to 207 in November. Outpatient visits also dropped slightly from 1,362 in October to 1,332 in November. However, clinic encounters rose slightly from 1,252 in October to 1,254 in November.

• Approval was given to the purchase of a new fire control panel for $36,050. It was noted the panel controls all sprinklers and monitors in the hospital. If there is a fire, the system automatically calls the sheriff ’s office dispatch.

• Rural Health Clinic Director Tina Davis discussed the hospital’s new program, social Detriments of Health, which will help the hospital provide health to its patients by discovering what is happening in their lives such as whether they have access to healthy foods.

Davis also said the hospital is beginning a dementia support group on a referral basis to help local caregivers.

“It’s very needed,” she said.

• After a 20-minute executive session to discuss non-elected personnel (appointments and reappointments), the following action was approved: Initial appointments — Andrey Yusupov, MD, Consulting, United Radiology; Kisha Paterson, ARNP, Docs Who Care.

Reappointments — Ashley Hlad, FNP-C, active, ECMC; Spencer Anderson, PA, active, holistic pain management; Mark Mikinski, MD, consulting, cardiology; Ray House, MD, consulting, United Radiology; Artin Aharonian, MD, consulting, United Radiology; Janet Amundson, MD, consulting, United Radiology; Shannon Bownds, MD, consulting, United Radiology; Jonathan Coll, MD, consulting, United Radiology; Howard Heller, MD, consulting, United Radiology; Edward Hobart, MD, consulting, United Radiology; Michael Karachalios, MD, consulting, United Radiology; Michael Klein, MD, consulting, United Radiology; Archana Lucchesi, MD, consulting, United Radiology; Leonard Morneau, MD, consulting, United Radiology; Manal Schoellerman, MD, consulting, United Radiology.

Resignations — James Cooper, MD, pathology, WPM, retiring.

The next meeting of the ECMC board of directors will be at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17, in the hospital conference room.