Hospital directors meet on “Uber”

By Melinda L. Lucas

Shackelford County Hospital District directors checked in via an “Uber conference” call for a brief meeting at noon on Monday, April 20, working through the business of both the district and the clinic in a quick 20-minute session.

Hospital district administrator Jera Fairley told board members that “drug diversion” investigations are ongoing by both the sheriff’s office and the Texas Rangers, commenting that “it is getting closer to resolution.”

In their February meeting, the board had authorized Fairley to pursue the investigation, saying only that Fairley had found during an internal audit that some controlled drugs might not have been handled according to protocol.

No other information was given this week, and there was no action or further discussion.

Student Contract

Fairley presented a revised contract that she and EMS director Tina Ulbrich had been working on for EMS workers who request tuition assistance to pursue further training.

The agreement defines specific obligations that the students must fulfill, or they must reimburse the district for those expenses.

Other Business

•As a part of the CARES Act, the clinic will receive $11,576 in funding, while the EMS is getting $4,616, Fairley said. The funding is based on Medicare billing for 2019.

•The deadline to renew the district’s health insurance has been pushed back to Oct. 1, with no cost increase during that period, Fairley said.