Pace discusses intentions & support of SB 22-125

Eastern plains hospitals, including Haxtun Health, are backing the introduction of Collaboration Bill SB 22-125. Prime sponsors of the bill include Senator Jerry Sonnenberg, Sterling, and Representative Perry Will, District 57.

Chief Executive Officer Dewane Pace explained the bill and its intensions to members of the Haxtun Health Board of Directors in a Monday night meeting last week. Pace said under current antitrust laws called Certificate of Public Advantage, individual hospitals cannot work with each other in a collaborative fashion to improve health care efficiency, ensure access to medical services or engage in shared purchasing agreements for supplies or staff.

“This has a negative impact on rural hospitals like Haxtun Health along with 43 other rural public health care entities across 36 rural and frontier counties in our State,” Pace said. “We are a special district and an independent hospital and are not looking to change that, but we would like the opportunity to come together collaboratively and negotiate pricing as a group instead of trying to negotiate alone as a small hospital.”

Pace said rural communities and their hospitals are generally considered vulnerable due to low patient volumes, high Medicare/Medicaid payer mix, geographic isolation, workforce shortages, limited access to essential health care services, aging infrastructure and higher incidence of COVID and chronic disease. Increased collaboration would improve rural hospitals’ chance of survival, Pace added, while preserving the ethic of independent, locally controlled health care.

The bill has support of Kim Bimstefer, the head of Medicaid for Colorado, along with local Senator Sonnenberg and most state healthcare organizations including the Colorado Hospital Association and Colorado rural Health Center.

Pace said 28 other states already have legislation that allows this. “Colorado does not and we are looking to change that.”

While providing his monthly report to the Board, Pace touched on the infrastructure project underway on the main Haxtun Health campus as well as the main street clinic project going on Colorado Avenue.

“We have completed another phase of the infrastructure project,” Pace said. “The acute care side, or hospital side, has re-opened. New HVAC, new ceilings, new lighting and removal of the window air conditioners has all happened on the hospital side of the building.”

He said the next phase will be the emergency room area followed by the kitchen area. Pace said the interior parts of the project should all be compete by May and then construction crews will move on to replacing the roof over the main hospital building.

“We will essentially have a new hospital, from an infrastructure perspective, when all of this is complete at the end of the summer,” said Pace. He said the project has been funded through grant dollars and Haxtun Health as a District has not had to ask taxpayers for any help in making it possible.

As for the main street clinic build, Pace said many are anxious to see the project done quickly, however, he is anxious to see it done right. The project continues to progress with underground plumbing and electrical nearly complete. Pace said hopes are to pour the rest of the concrete slab soon with the next phase being the exterior shell and roof followed by the interior fit up.

Pace also gave a brief update on a six week diabetes education, nutrition and weight loss class hosted by Haxtun Health. He said classes began Feb. 1 and participants have had the opportunity to speak with healthcare professionals in a small group setting to learn more about improving their overall health. Classes, he said, are held at the Community Center and have been well-attended with many referrals direct from the Haxtun Health Clinic.

Those interested in attending the next class should contact KrisAnna Teel in the Specialty Clinic at (970) 774-6123.

Chief Community Relations Officer Julia Biesemeier also gave a report to board members last week. She said the recent Girls’ Night Out was well attended with over 100 community women in attendance. Haxtun Health uses the event as an opportunity to market services and showcase departments. At this year’s GNO, Dr. Amy Seinfeld gave a presentation, Pharmacist Andrew Gonzales and Seinfeld sat on a women’s health panel and a video presentation by Wendy Evans was played throughout the evening.

In the Chief Nursing Officer update, it was noted that since Jan. 1, Haxtun Health has had 10 staff members out with positive COVID tests. However, Lea White said number are decreasing even those the hospital has seen patients who are positive with COVID. On the latter, the Extended Care Unit has had no positive tests thus far in 2022.

White also announced the addition of Nicole Dennis, Registered Nurse, the Haxtun Health staff. Dennis is the new Assistant CNO and will take over as supervisor of the ECU, a position that had been vacant since June. Dennis will also hold the role of Infection Control Nurse.

The next Haxtun Health Board of Directors meeting is slated for Monday, March 28 at 7 p.m.