A drop in out-patient volume over the summer months of June and July resulted in the Bamberg County Memorial Hospital experiencing two back-to-back months of down profitability; hospital Administrator Carl Menist informed board members at their August meeting.

“A significant part of our business is the out-patient work we do,” Menist said. “The dip in our out-patient revenue clearly is the one reason we were a little below break even.”

Because of the drop in outpatient volume in June, the hospital recorded a net loss of $12,942 in June compared to a profit of just under $70,000 in May. The facility enters August showing a $567,885 profit compared to a budget of $405,000, which leaves the hospital approximately $162,000 under budget. Last year at the end of July the hospital had a profit of $454,000.

In June the hospital’s daily census was down 30 percent with 303 patient days for the month of June compared to 438 in May, for an average daily census of 10.10 as compared to 14.13 in May. All ancillary procedures in radiology and the laboratory were down only approximately 9 to 10 percent compare to the 30 percent decrease in census in June. The facility performed 322 surgeries in June compared to 259 surgeries in May.

“Wewere fortunate to sustain such a significant drop in our census; we’re still just below break even. The thing that helped there was the surgeries, we had a very good month in the O-R (operating room).”

The hospital recorded net revenues of $1,656,000 in June compared to $1,719,000 in May. Expenses were $1,670,000 in May compared to $1,650,000 in June. Year-to-date the hospital is showing a profit of $607,000.

Menist said that he was not overly concerned about the two months of down profitability for the hospital citing historical down trends for health care facilities during the summer months.

“I don’t think you guys should be overly concerned about it,” Menist said. “Historically in health care in general in the summer business drops. Patients go on vacation, more importantly doctors go on vacation. When they’re not there we’re unable to get patients and generate revenue.”

In other business:

. The hospital administrator informed board members the OBGYN Clinic has been approved for opening. A specific date for the clinic’s opening has not been set but September 7, has been set as the target date. “They’ve been anxious to get in,” Menist said of the staff of the facility. Noting “we still have some work to do outside.”

. The hospital’s finance committee reported no new expenditures were approved by the committee, and some that were already approved will be funded in the new fiscal and capital expenditure budgets that should be approved by the next meeting.