PORT ANGELES — Olympic Medical Center has endorsed the Sequim School District’s construction bond issue in the Nov. 3 general election.
Citing the quality of education, career opportunities and strong school appeal to the health care professionals OMC wants to recruit, commissioners unanimously endorsed the $49.3 million issue Tuesday.
The bonds would finance a new elementary school, renovating and expanding four existing facilities and demolishing a fifth one.
Third quarter revenue
As for OMC’s own finances, Julie Rukstad, chief financial officer, said the third quarter that ended in September was the first consecutive positive period for the hospital, with net revenue of $2 million for the quarter and $7 million for the year to date.
The continuing strong performance, she said, largely was due to increased payments for Medicaid patients newly covered by the Affordable Care Act.
Bad debt and charity care declined 37 percent during the third quarter, according to Rukstad.
Hospital staff members will prepare a draft 2016 budget and post it Nov. 2 at www.OlympicMedical.org.
CEO Eric Lewis said it would include $4.5 million for new medical equipment — about $1 million more than 2015. The equipment will include surgical and imaging expenditures, plus $750,000 in improvements at the Sequim Medical Campus.
In other action Tuesday, commissioners:
■ Approved a $440,177 annual contract with a $50,000 signing bonus and retention bonuses at five and 10 years for Dr. Thomas Herschmiller.
■ Approved a $102,000 contract for physician assistant Matt Kiddle.
■ Bought 28 electric examination tables for the primary care clinics for $108,525.
■ Approved $88,000 for Sullivan Cotter and Associates to conduct a compensation survey for doctors and midlevel professionals at Olympic Medical Physicians.
■ Bought $244,672 storage and servers for medical images.
■ Approved a preventive maintenance agreement for climate control for $39,000.
■ Added a $132,060 payment to Rice Fergus Miller of Bremerton, architect for OMC’s new medical office building, for on-site construction supervision.
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Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jcasey@peninsuladailynews.com
