Greater Regional reflects on lab move

Following the move of lab services to the Medical Arts Plaza on the Greater Regional campus, the GRH board of trustees reviewed the move during Monday’s regular meeting.

Greater Regional Health presented the new lab and clinic expansion through tours held during an open house on Feb. 18. The new lab began services on Feb. 20, and patients using the new clinic space, identified as Suite 100, will begin using the area on Feb. 28.

During Chief Quality Officer Kimberly Weehler’s quality report to the board during Monday’s meeting, she said a part of the move functioning smoothly was due to a year-long plan. The plan included various caveats to account for any mishaps during the transition, which weren’t needed on the day of the move.

Visits from four vendors became a worry for the hospital due to inclement weather making travel difficult with excessive snow cover across the Midwest. Greater Regional prepared to provide hotel accommodations for the vendors, but were graciously declined by all vendors.

“They all came here safely in the snow,” Weehler said.

Each vendor had to tear down machines used in the lab to be transferred and then set up the machines in their new location. Weehler reported vendors were notably surprised by the efficiency of the process.

“They said ‘look, we do this all the time in different places,’” Weehler said. “’People say they have things in place, but they never do.’ They all said we actually did. I thought that was a tremendous compliment.”

Staff across the hospital took part in the process. For how important these lab tests can be for patients, efficiency is key.

“I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t nervous,” Weehler said. “It was a great day.”

Chief of Staff Dr. Matthew Epp said the move went “extraordinarily well” during his medical staff report to the board.

Chairman Tom Lesan attended the open house for the new section and noted the attendance of the event. Despite cold weather on Feb. 18, the excitement around the new section brought the Creston community to the hospital.

In other GRH board news...

GRH celebrated their seventh year in a row as a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital by the Chartis Center for Rural Health. The hospital is one of 11 named in Iowa, and the hospital has received the honor ten years total. Data received from the Chartis Center revealed an index score from the winter report to be 93.7, which Weehler described as “fantastic.”

The index score covers several categories including inpatient market share, outpatient market share, quality outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge and finance. Weehler noted two categories where Greater Regional’s numbers dropped in quality outcomes and patient perspective.

Weehler said the hospital’s quality outcomes score only dropped less than 1%, with patient perspective having a more considerable drop. Weehler also noted how the report will be based on data that is two-years-old.

McCutchan gave his financial report to the board for the month of January, calling the month “not pretty” for the hospital. The month of January gave an $800,000 loss for Greater Regional, with 3% increased revenue being outclassed by an additional 9% over-budget on expenses.

Revenue was on track for the month, but expenses related to swapping health insurance providers for employees caused additional expenses for Greater Regional. Premiums for the new plans as well as payments for run-out claims from the previous plans were factors in the additional expenses.

McCutchan said this was an abnormal spike which shouldn’t be expected in the future. He did note how the hospital should keep an idea on drug prices, which could increase in the coming months.

Greater Regional Health hosted the public hearing for their request of funds in the Union County fiscal year 2026 budget. The tax asking has remained the same amount for 23 years, $1,149,000. The number represents 10% of the maximum tax ask of $11.5 million.

In the past 10 years, the hospital has seen their mill rate decrease from $2.34 per $1,000 to $1.81 per $1,000. Following the public hearing, the board approved the budget.