MCH adds awards

The awarding of employees of the month has long been a staple of Medical Center Hospital board meetings, but, now, the hospital is also taking a team approach.

At Tuesday's meeting of the Ector County Hospital District Board of Directors, awards were presented to four departments for team-oriented achievements as part of the I CARE program. The awards will be presented on a quarterly basis.

"For us it takes the entire department and everyone involved to improve patient satisfaction," said Carol Durham, director of business development.

The first awards were presented to 8 Central - most improved patient satisfaction score, labor and delivery - best E-Gap for training employees in customer service skills, electro diagnostics - best outpatient satisfaction score and special procedures - best overall patient satisfaction score.

Also Tuesday, the board voted to enter a new agreement for third-party administration for its medical plan. Harvey Hudspeth, MCH human resources director, said it would mean lower health administration fees for its employee benefit plan.

The new plan with Allied Heath Systems of Amarillo will cost $281,010, a price guaranteed for two years. An agreement with Insurance Management Services of Amarillo, MCH's current third-party administrator, would cost $329,460, a price only guaranteed for one year.

During the board's finance committee meeting, held just before the regular board meeting, board member Abraham Torres raised concerns about wait times at MCH's Family Health Clinic.

Torres said a friend of his with a toothache was told he would have to wait until February to receive treatment at the dental clinic.

Dorothy Reyes, the clinic's executive director, said the clinic currently had a six-month wait.

Torres expressed concern about Ector County residents not receiving priority at the clinic.

"Is this what want?" Torres asked. "There's got to be some consideration given for the residents for residents of the community to not have to wait that long."

But Reyes said the clinics new status as a Federally Qualified Health Center requires it to take patients from all over. The status allows the clinic to receive more federal reimbursement.

In other action, the board:

>> Named Delma Marin board secretary.

>> Naming Janeth Marquez and Dorothy Hargis September's employees of the month.

>> Heard committee reports.

>> Heard a report from Texas Tech Health Science Centers.

>>  Tabling an exclusivity agreement for anesthesia services with Permian

Basin Clinical Services.

>> Approved ProCare physician contracts with occupational medicine Dr.

Christine Cisneros for a $250,000 base salary, radiologist Dr. Russell

Schroeder for a $441,000 base salary and internal medicine Dr. Faisal

Pirzada for a $190,000 base salary.