Erlanger to focus on pediatric admissions

By responding to feedback from local pediatricians, T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital leaders are hoping to boost dampened admissions to the pediatric care facility, officials said Monday at Erlanger Health System's monthly budget and finance committee meeting.

In September, the number of days patients were admitted to T.C. Thompson was down 20 percent compared to last year, according to the health system's financial report. Year-to-date, patient days were down 16 percent from last year.

BOX: HUTCHESON BOARD STRUCTUREHutcheson Medical Center Inc., is a private, nonprofit company that operates the Hutcheson health system. Its 13-member board oversees the daily operations of the hospital. The private company leases the hospital building from the Hospital Authority of Walker, Dade and Catoosa County.ERLANGER FINANCIAL REPORT* September net income from operations: $976,241* Year-to-date net income: $38,734* Budgeted year-to-date net income: $1.9 million* Prior year year-to-date net income: Loss of $1.6 millionSource: Erlanger financial records

That continues a trend of lower admissions at T.C. Thompson, said Dr. Alan Kohrt, senior vice president of T.C. Thompson. Some of the decrease is due to lower incidence of infectious diseases this year and insurance companies' efforts to classify hospital stays as "observational," instead of a true medical admission, to hold down reimbursement payments, he said.

He noted that T.C. Thompson's trauma admissions are stable, and surgical admissions are up.

As the region's only children's specialty hospital, most of T.C. Thompson's competition comes from larger hospitals two hours away, in Nashville, Knoxville or Birmingham, Ala., which tend to have more specialists, Kohrt said.

Feedback from local pediatricians revealed barriers to admitting patients at T.C. Thompson, like delays in speaking to a specialist about a patient, Kohrt said.

"We really have to ramp that up and provide better service for our referring physicians," Kohrt said.

Recruiting new specialists, such as a pediatric pulmonologist and adult/pediatric dermatologist, will be critical as well, he said.

Hutcheson leaders quiet

Meanwhile, the operational board of Hutcheson Medical Center in Fort Oglethorpe met Monday for their monthly board meeting Monday. Last week board chairwoman Martha Attaway said the board would possibly vote between partnership proposals from Erlanger and Memorial Health Care System.

But following the three-hour meeting, which was held in closed session, Attaway declined to comment on the proceedings. Board members had agreed not to discuss what went on during the meeting, including whether or not a vote was taken, she said.

President and CEO Charles Stewart, who was in the meeting, said after the meeting that he had nothing to add to Attaway's comments.

Hutcheson, which experienced a $7.3 million loss in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2009, is hoping a strategic relationship with one of the larger hospitals in Chattanooga will help bring more doctors and patients to the facility.

If Hutcheson does select Erlanger, the partnership arrangement still would be far from finalized: Erlanger officials would have the opportunity to do more "due diligence" research and would develop a strategic partnership plan that would ultimately require approval from Erlanger trustees, President and CEO Jim Brexler said after Erlanger's budget meeting Monday.

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