JCH to offer insurance help

Jay County residents without health insurance may have a new face to go to for assistance.
The Jay County Hospital Board of Trustees approved an agreement with ClaimAid, a company that deals with helping individuals (and their families) enroll in a health insurance plan. The board approved the one-year agreement, which is not to exceed $96,940, pending legal action.
ClaimAid would hire a full-time employee, who would be available at Jay County Hospital from Monday through Friday and by phone on weekends to help patients enroll in an insurance plan.
David Hyatt, CEO of Jay County Hospital, said that the agreement would benefit all of Jay County, as the program would be open to all residents.
“There’s options for everybody out there to get insurance, but sometimes taking the next step is a problem,” Hyatt said.
He said ClaimAid would help residents take that step.
“It’s a win-win for the community and the hospital,” he added.
David Littler asked Hyatt later in the meeting if the hospital had a plan in place to work with patients who have high-deductible health insurance plans. Hyatt said the hospital is addressing the problem and that ClaimAid is a step in the right direction.
The board members also approved an agreement with Indianapolis University Health to bring telestroke services to the hospital.
IU Health, Hyatt said, will provide a cart with a video feed connected to neurologists at IU-Health Ball Memorial Hospital. The video feed will allow specialists to connect with local doctors to see and discuss stroke patients from afar.
“It’s similar to Facetime on your iPhone,” Hyatt said.
The program is offered at no extra charge to the patient and is free of charge for the hospital, though Hyatt said the facility would have to add an additional doctor to the hospital’s payroll for consulting fees.
In other business, board members:
•Heard the facilities management report from Roger Locker. During the report, board members approved the purchase of a Natus Algo hearing screener for $21,587. The Jay County Hospital Foundation Board has agreed to pay half of the purchase, Locker said, bringing the total cost for the hospital to $10,793.50. The current screener is more than 14 years old and it is a state requirement to do hearing screens on all newborns.
Board members also approved a one-year license and service agreement with Perceptive Software at a cost of $24,177 and a one-year, $6,552.90 service agreement with bioMerieux. Perceptive Software houses a policy management program as well as employee files and medical records, and bioMerieux is a biochemistry equipment company that should help lab test turnaround time.
•Heard the medical staff report from chief of staff Dr. Mark Haggenjos, who told board members that William Jones has been appointed as a nurse anesthetist and that Brenda DeArmond has been reappointed as a family nurse practitioner.

Haggenjos also showed board members the 2015 Performance Improvement Plan.
“It’s like a report card we kind of follow on a quarterly basis,” he said prior to the board unanimously approving the plan.
•Heard the financial report from chief financial officer Don Michael. Michael said the hospital had an operating income of $1.14 million for March. He said it had a net income of $1.15 million for March and a year-to-date net income of $170,330.
•Heard the auxiliary report from Beth Auker. She said volunteers donated 1,088.75 hours to the hospital in February. She reminded board members that the auxiliary has a bake sale scheduled for Friday, and its craft bazaar is Friday and Saturday. The events run from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
•Heard the administrative report from Hyatt. He told board members the hospital had dedicated $25,000 to the Portland Water Park project and that IU Health-Ball Memorial Hospital has promised to match JCH’s donation. He said local hospital employees had raised an additional $7,000 for the project.
He also reminded board members that Monday is National Doctors’ Day, and thanked local doctors for their work.
•Heard that JCH employee Pat Daniels had been recognized in a letter from the Indiana Health Care Association for good work at the hospital.
•Approved 1,304 checks and disbursements totaling $2.17 million paid since the last board meeting.