Stephens Co. Hospital Authority Meets With County Commission

Stephens County Commissioners hear from the Hospital Authority.

Monday, the two boards met for a joint meeting at the Clary Center.

Hospital Administrator Ed Gambrell said he wanted to present county commissioners with a picture of where Stephens County Hospital is right now.

“We still have a lot of challenges in front of us and I am sure we always will,” said Gambrell. “We have taken steps to improve our situation in the past year. Our 2014 fiscal year was a positive gain for us, compared to 2013, which was not, so we are taking steps necessary to keep Stephens County Hospital in a strong financial situation, keep it serving our public as we should.”

Gambrell pointed to Fiscal Year 2014, where the hospital turned a small profit of about $85,000.

While that is not a large profit, Gambrell said it represents quite a turnaround from a loss of more than $2.4 million in Fiscal Year 2013.

He said that the hospital accomplished that despite seeing all of its volume indicators, like admissions and births, drop last year.

According to Gambrell, the hospital cut on the expense side to make up that difference, cuts that included things that he says the hospital did not want to do but felt it had to.

Gambrell also pointed to the hospital’s long-term debt, which totals less than $5 million, as a plus compared to neighboring hospitals.

Stephens County Commission Chairman Dennis Bell said that he is impressed with what he heard.

“It is amazing that they have come out like they have,” said Bell. “I will say that Mr. Gambrell has done a great job and he will be missed. It is going to be a big pair of shoes for somebody to fill.”

County commissioners also got to meet the person who will fill those shoes as the administrator chosen to replace Gambrell, Lynne Anderson, was on hand for the joint meeting and introduced herself to the county commission.