LLUAHSC - Spring 2002 Newscope

Newscope

Board of Trustees actions in February and March meetings highlighted

[SCOPE, Spring 2002]

February 12, 2002 (full session)

Loma Linda University Medical Center

LLUMC quality committee met February 11, 2002, and reviewed and made recommendations related to the following quality information: customer service, environment of care, quality, and performance improvement activities by LLUMC departments and medical staff, risk management information, and patient safety information. New business of the quality committee included a presentation on the new LLUMC metrics, establishment of an anonymous quality hotline, a presentation of our medication error reduction plan submitted to the State of California, and updates and revisions to the disaster plan resulting from the events of September 11, 2001.
LLUMC is licensed for 789 beds, of which the Children’s Hospital has 244, East Campus has 118, and LLUMC has 427. The Children’s Hospital has 70 percent of beds as ICU, while LLUMC, with its tertiary and quaternary emphasis for adult care, has only 30 percent of ICU beds. A main initiative at LLUMC is to improve the bed management/patient placement system. This initiative begins in the emergency department and continues throughout the patient’s hospital stay to discharge.
An assessment of LLUMC’s signature programs—International Heart Institute, Cancer Institute, Transplantation Institute, Proton Therapy Center, imaging services, and laboratory services—is being conducted to better integrate research and clinical care; improve, where appropriate, clinical outcomes and service; and to enhance the synergy between the medical staff and LLUMC administration.
LLUMC’s unaudited financial statement for the year 2001 shows an operating gain of $13.1 million. This is 91.5 percent of the targeted gain of $14.3 million. On January 1, 2002, LLUMC was required to have a minimum of 45 days of cash on hand. One day of cash is about $1.4 million. LLUMC has exceeded the minimum number of days required.
LLUMC infrastructure team is developing a “dashboard” containing key indicators of how LLUMC is performing in the financial operational, quality, satisfaction, and innovative areas. “Dashboards” will be developed for the system, service lines, and customer centers.
It was reported that the Children’s Hospital, a 250-bed Level I trauma center, is in the service area of more than 25 percent of California’s population. The 72-bed NICU is one of the busiest and most technically advanced in the nation. Team centers provide a forum where patients can see a team of multidisciplinary providers at the same time and at one location. The providers treat complex diseases, birth anomalies, and genetic complications.
The master site facility plan for the East Campus was presented. The plan shows the location and use of all existing buildings, and the proposed location of inpatient units and outpatient therapy space. The geographic clustering of related health-care services continues. Inpatient programming will focus on rehabilitation, short-stay orthopaedics, neurosurgery care, and family medicine.
Government relation activities in conjunction with Adventist Health were reviewed. The committee develops and approves a government relations strategic plan to guide overall work, and meets monthly to receive reports and recommend policy positions on pending legislation.

February 12, 2002 (full session)

Loma Linda University

The December financial statements were presented, showing an $892,000 below-budget figure for all departments.
It was also noted that Drayson Center showed a gain as of December 31—for the first time since it opened.
The audit report for all federal awards was presented, showing total expenditures for the year ended June 30, 2001, of $22,000,000. The auditors reported no findings or recommendations to management.
Tuition rates for the 2002–2003 academic year were approved. A modest increase of 2.9 percent was approved for the graduate programs, a 3.9 percent increase for the School of Medicine, and a 6 percent increase for the School of Dentistry. One percent of the increases will be used to cover losses in the student health plan.
Work is progressing on the remodeling of Gentry Gymnasium to be used for special functions, such as the School of Medicine alumni meetings.
The upgrade of Nichol Hall is progressing. The carpet, lights, and paint is complete on the main floors.
The turbine engines at the co-
generation plant will not need to be refurbished until November, 2002, rather than March. Due to the significant downtime in the winter of 2001, the hours on the engines are not at a point where they need to be refurbished.

February 12, 2002 (full session)

Loma Linda University Behavioral Medicine Center

BMC has experienced an average daily patient census of 70 for 2001. January is off to an excellent start with an average daily census of 73. The BMC also reported a positive bottom line for the year 2001. New managed care contracts are in place for this year, which is especially important since this is 68 percent of the BMC’s business. A Joint Commission readiness plan is in place with several function teams to address specific BMC issues.

BMC is currently looking into an electronic charting system and patient file that will enhance its documentation and medical record completion rate. BMC continues to evaluate its operations, including revenue cycle review, contract performance and compliance, staffing, productivity, and wages.

March 19, 2002 (full session)

Loma Linda University Medical Center

The Diabetes Treatment Center has been awarded the Crystal Award by the American Diabetes Association.
The LLUMC year 2001 financial audit is underway and should be completed in the near future. There are no audit adjustments anticipated.
LLUMC ended January, 2002, with an operating gain of $1,220,000, and February, 2002, with an operating gain of $997,000. The year-to-date operating gain of $2,217,000 is about $900,000 below the budgeted amount.

March 19, 2002 (full session)

Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital

Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital Foundation ninth annual gala was held on February 24, 2002, and met with success. The pediatric emergency services will benefit from the $160,000 raised through sponsorships, ticket sales, and silent and live auctions.

March 19, 2002 (executive committe)

Loma Linda University

The executive committee approved the following academic administrative appointments: Cherng-ju Kim, PhD, chair, department of pharmaceutical sciences, School of Pharmacy; and Jerry W. Lee, PhD, chair, department of health promotion and education, School of Public Health. It was also voted that Benjamin Kovitz, MD, be named
emeritus professor of psychiatry, School of Medicine.
Joyce W. Hopp, PhD, MPH, dean, School of Allied Health Professions, announced her retirement effective September 1, 2002. The executive committee expressed appreciation for her enduring dedication and service to the University.
A new financial statement was presented with detail of all funds that are of an unrestricted nature. Through the month of February, 2002, the net total unrestricted funds are about $500,000 less than budget. Depreciation expense and the student health plan are the primary reasons for this budget deficit. Corrective plans are in place to change the student health plan for next year. It was also noted that $835,000 of the prior year endowment earnings that had been budgeted to use this year, along with $400,000 of current year unrestricted trust maturities, had not been recorded as income. Had these been recorded, the unrestricted funds would be better than budget.
LLU Foundation unrestricted operating funds showed a $250,000 operating gain for the first eight months of the fiscal year ending February 28, 2002. The funds function as endowment area which includes real estate and retail. Service departments had an income of $12,096,031 and expenses of $11,370,042 through February 28. After the budgeted transfer of $566,856 to the unrestricted operating funds, the funds functioning as endowment showed an operating gain of $159,403.
Institutional officers and school deans met on Tuesday, March 19, with the new Afghan ambassador to the United States to discuss LLU’s long-standing history with Afghanistan and the future role in helping to redevelop the country.

March 19, 2002 (full session)

Loma Linda University Behavioral Medicine Center

BMC continues financial growth during 2002. The month of January, 2002, ended with a $50,224 month-to-date gain. February, 2002, ended with a $35,600 month-to-date gain. This resulted in a year-to-date gain of $85,824. BMC continues to provide excellent care while maintaining a financially sound position.
The February census for BMC was placed at an average rate of 70.3 occupancy per day. Outpatient visits numbered 1,240 for the month. The average length of stay per patient is six days month-to-date. BMC received notice from the Joint Commission that all the BMC’s type 1 reports from the July JCAHO review have been cleared by the commission. BMC continues to work diligently with the function teams as part of its continual Joint Commission readiness plan. In addition, BMC continues to analyse its operations to evaluate payment plans for indigent care. It is also focusing on marketing plans, both externally and internally.

[SCOPE, Spring 2002]