<div>The Lavaca Hospital District Board of Directors met in a regular meeting hearing a report regarding the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC).Regional Hospital Preparedness Coordinator with STRAC, Holly Smith, displayed a power point presentation explaining the working of the organization.Smith, who worked as a registered nurse at Victoria Detar Hospital for 24 years, said she now is with the Regional Advisory Council (RAC).She informed the board there are 22 RACs in Texas and she represents the Golden Crescent regional advisory council (GCRAC).“The RAC was established in the 1990’s and was done to help the Texas trauma and EMS systems,” Smith said. “The RAC allows us to monitor trauma as well as designate trauma facilities.”Smith said over the years, RAC has expanded to involve trauma situations including ground to air EMS, cardiac, stroke, disaster preparedness, special populations, injury prevention and pediatric.Smith said eight different area hospitals are part of the GCRAC including Lavaca Medical Center.“After 9-11, we realized we were unprepared. There was a lot of disaster caused by 9-11 that we had never thought about or participated in,” Smith said in regards to expansion of RAC. “The government gave RAC money, which is now used to distribute funds for decontamination equipment, hospice preparedness programs and EMS agencies.”Jones explained the steps that take place when a disaster occurs and her duties in RAC.“My role is to make sure hospitals are prepared for whatever patient load would be coming to them,” Smith said. “I am able to talk to local contacts to notify them of the incident and communicate information to the hospital administrator, sheriff’s office, emergency preparedness and law enforcement agencies.”She said it gives the hospitals a chance to prepare and wants to activate the preparedness as quick as possible.In listing types of disasters, she said she should be notified about, Smith said anything impacting health care from power/water outages, severe storms, bailouts, bomb threats, internal disasters, disease outbreaks or anything that can be imagined.Smith said she is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be notified by emailing her at holly.smith@strac. org or calling her at (726) 225-4452.Administration/Financial ReportLavaca Medical Center administrator Steve Bowen, presented the administration and financial report that included both February and March.Bowen said contractors have been asking questions concerning the PT/Wellness renovation project and he expects 3-4 bids, which are due this Friday, April 25.He said a meeting will then be called to open the bids and the board can then decide how to move forward with the project.Bowen said the Parkinson’s Awareness Walk held on April 10 was very well attended. He also added that the annual Health Fair will be held on May 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.He reported the 3D mammography unit is up and operational servicing 8-9 patients per day.Bowen reported they received a $200 thousand grant from the Johnson Foundation and it was left up to LMC’s discretion on how the fund will be spent.Bowen summarized the financial report for both February and March.Bowen said in February, clinic visits were up 211 patients, while surgeries were up 37%, and emergency room visits were up 7%.The hospital’s daily census was 4.7 patients with an average length of stay of 4.6 days, and admissions were down 28%.The hospital’s gross district revenue was up 6.5% year-to date, while the total district revenue was up 11%, and other revenue was up 9%.Bowen said the clinic revenue was up 9% yearto-date in February.For March, hospital admissions were up 7%, while the gross district revenue was up 12%, total district revenue was up 16%, and other revenue was up 38%. All percentages are based on year-to-date.Bowen said the average daily census was 7.4 patients with a average length of stay at 4.4 days.He said clinic visits were up 428 patients year-to-date and emergency room visits were up 7%, and surgeries up 54%.“We had a good month in March,” Bowen said.In other action taken by the board:• Approved the public investment quarterly report.Board president James Fenner presided over the meeting with board members Rosanne Gallia, Carl Hobbs, Forrest Kroschel, Doug Kubicek attending. Board member Ronnie Juenke attended via Zoom hookup.</div>

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The Lavaca Hospital District Board of Directors met in a regular meeting hearing a report regarding the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC). Regional Hospital Preparedness Coordinator with STRAC, Holly Smith, displayed a power point presentation explaining the working of the organization. Smith, who worked as a registered nurse at...

LHD board receives report on STRAC

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The Lavaca Hospital District Board of Directors met in a regular meeting hearing a report regarding the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC). 

LHD board receives report on STRAC

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