Hospital CEO sheds light on finances

Eureka Springs Hospital CEO Tiffany Means delivered a status report at the April 27 city council meeting, providing clarity following the April 20 commission meeting. “Mayor and council—before I begin, I want to say something very clearly. I’m here as a partner to this community, to this council, and to the commission. I did not step into this role to defend the past. I stepped into it to understand it, correct it, and move this hospital forward responsibly,” she stated.

“Under Arkansas code 14-264-105, financial reporting flows through the hospital commission and reports must be certified as correct before submission. Given prior financial reporting required significant audit adjustments, we will not present numbers that are not validated. That is not transparency – it is risk.

“As of March 31, the hospital maintains approximately $3.49 million in cash. Over the past four months, average monthly collections have been $403,000, and average monthly expenditures $701,000 – an operational gap of $298,000 per month. This reflects a hospital in active stabilization – not a finalized financial position, but a real-time operational snapshot while we correct underlying systems.

“Any existing records held by the hospital are subject to disclosure. However, FOIA does not require the creation of new documents, and it does not override the requirement that financial reports be accurate and certified before formal presentation. During this period of financial reconstruction, any information that is shared will be clearly identified as preliminary and subject to ongoing reconciliation. Our responsibility is to ensure that what is ultimately reported and certified is correct, supportable, and not misleading.”

Means said she had been engaged with financial requests received on March 20 and had met with the mayor and alderman Rachael Moyer on April 3 to share those documents. Means said she answered an email April 9 and followed up again April 22 with shared requests. Going forward, Means asked that any requests go through the commission to ensure “proper procedure and maintain trust and alignment.”

It was noted that approximately 66% of ESH patients are from the city and surrounding counties, up 48% in patient volumes year-to-date. 32 patients were transferred through the new Survival Flight partnership.

Alderman David Avanzino asked if Means could offer any comfort to those affected by past personnel issues. Means responded that the culture has definitely changed, but she could comment no further.

“At the end of the day, this is about more than financial reports. It’s about access to care for this community, the patients who rely on this hospital every day, and our shared responsibility to ensure it remains here to serve them.”

Aldermen requested monthly updates at council meetings, to which she agreed.

Hospital CEO sheds light on finances

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