DARLINGTON — Committee President Jack Sauer called the Hospital Committee meeting to order on Monday, Sept. 5, at 8 a.m. at the Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County (MHLC) Conference Room.

In hospital business:

●  Financials — July 2023 financial numbers were reviewed. Year-to-date are at a gain of $376,005. Income from services is at $89,862. Net revenue from services are $17,060,364 which is 9% over budget., the budget is $15,719,030 and total expenses are $16,970.503, which is also 9% over budget, budget is $15,618,002.

Cash is at $2,233,486, down $304,955 from last month. The first loan draw for the replacement facility is $3,475,664, received on Sept. 1, 2023.

Accounts receivable is at $7,358,421, up $518,481 from last month. MHLC is due $793,573 from Medicare/Medicaid for cost reports.

Financials were approved.

●  Approved July spending report.

●  The clinic numbers — total primary care clinic year-to-date visits are at 9,681, up 1,361 from 2022.

●  Approved one privileges request.

●  Management report — CEO Kathy Kuepers reported the Blanchardville Clinic opened last week and was very successful. An open house for the Blanchardville Clinic was held Thursday, Sept. 7.

●  Planning an event, introducing the new robot that will assist with orthopedic surgeries on Tuesday, Sept. 26.

●  Doing more billboards.

●  Celebrating staff with a public invite cookout event.

●  Dr. Bernadoni and Dr. Whalen started Friday, Sept. 1.

●  Lafayette County Health Dept. is not renewing the school nurse program and MHLC Primary Clinic will be volunteering to fill that void.

●  New nurse practitioner hired.

●  Discussed and had four to choose from on re-branding.

●  New concrete in front of the hospital.

●  Replacement facility — started pouring concrete last week.

●  Capital budget requests — none.

●  Committee Lay member Jed Gant very disappointed that the Argyle Clinic entrance off Wis. 81 and staff parking were denied by the DOT. Also, very disgusted that there won’t be a grand entrance to the facility as the DOT denied an entrance to the replacement facility off Wis. 23 South in Darlington. Worried about a possible accident happening on County K because it’s so narrow.

Sauer also voiced his contempt with Wisconsin politicians that wouldn’t help Lafayette County with getting access to Wis. 23 North.