Observer REport: Northfield Hospital and Clinics Board, 3.27.25

• Executive Summary
• Call to Order
• Regular and Consent Agenda
• Reports
• Presentations/Discussion/Action Items
  • Nursing Update (Lisa Bauer, CNE)
    • General nursing update.  
      • Have started quarterly learning sessions like “Lunch and Learn.”
      • Are working on staff retention.  Part of this is more shared decision making.  The turnover rate has gone down a bit.  
    • 2025 goals for nursing include:
      • Transitioning some GYN procedures to same day instead of overnight stays
      • Improving efficiency with OR room turnovers
      • Learning more about how to care for more acute patients.
      • Improving postoperative recoveries
  • April Board retreat planning (Zander Abbott, President and CEO)
    • The Board will have an all-day retreat on April 4th.  This will be a closed session.  Topics will include:
      • 2025 Healthcare trends overview
      • 2025 Strategic Plan
      • Service Line Analysis and space planning
      • City and Hospital Governance and Playbook
      • Clinically Integrated Network
  • Hospital/City Governance Planning Committee Update (Zander Abbott, CEO)
    • Will meet on April 7th
    • Zander Abbott will be meeting quarterly with the Mayor
    • In the summer,  new board members will be appointed– sounds like nobody will be leaving this year– some may need to renew.
    • This fall, the Hospital Strategic Plan Update will be delivered to the City Council
  • Executive and Committee Reports
    • CEO Report (Zander Abbott, President and CEO)
      • Some key priorities moving forward:
        • Financial performance– We need to grow what we offer.  The Kaufman Hall engagement will work on clinical efficiency.  Meetings with large employers in town are happening– how can we partner efficiently?  Let them know how important the hospital is to their business and work on ways to meet their needs.
        • Engaged workforce-Several new initiatives are starting.  There will be an employee engagement survey.
        • Service Line Growth– Expand services into the space formerly used for Long Term Care– women’s health?, rehab? Orthopedics?
        • Work on regional strategic planning
        • Parking
        • Quality–
        • Culture of safety survey– does the staff feel safe?  Do they have what they need to provide safe care?
    • Operations
      • During the blizzard this month, the operating rooms were off-line and it affected patient volumes.
      • Recruitment for a new COO is going on now– was posted last week.  No search firm is being used.  The goal is to get someone in the position in the next three months.
      • There was a new doctor added in the Farmington Clinic who is from Webster.
    • Policy/Advocacy-
      • Potential cuts/disruptions to Medicaid are being tracked.
      • The hospital continues to provide Gender Affirming Care.  Most patients are over 18 and many are college students.  The few patients under 18 are under the supervision of the U of M Gender Clinic.
  • Financial Report (Eric Guth, CFO)
    • The past month brought an operating loss of 304K.  Inpatient volumes were strong, but outpatient and clinic visits were lower.  
    • Goals in Accounts Receivable:
      • Stability in staff
      • Utilizing a 3rd party to collect a backlog of self pay accounts
  • Verbal Community Relations Committee Report (Betsy Spethmann (Director of Communications)
    • 10 counties are working together to provide resources for mental health for children and youth.
    • This is the last year in a three year commitment to provide money for a rescue truck.
  • Verbal Quality Report (Katie Lane)
    • New project in the Birth Center– blue bands for hypertension
    • Stable patient grievance reports
    • Working with Headwaters to identify 5 areas to work on.
  • Verbal Budget and Finance Committee Report (Fred Rogers)
    • Approved Community Donations.

Respectfully submitted by observer Anne Larson.