Hospital District news for October

DAYTON—After several years of wrangling with Medicaid managed care organizations for underpayments to the Hospital District, Molina Healthcare has come through with a substantial payment.

CCHS CEO Shane McGuire told the hospital board of commissioners, at the end of October, about a $524,000 payment to the Health System from Molina Healthcare.

Kudos go to Cheryl Skiffington, the District’s Revenue Cycle Coordinator, and Wendy Wilkins, who has been contracted to negotiate and maintain payer contracts, he said.

“They have worked this from every angle imaginable.”

The finance team has been working since 2015 to collect underpayments totaling over $800,000 from Molina Healthcare, $63,000 from Amerigroup Washington, Inc., and $200,000 from Coordinated Care.

McGuire said Coordinated Care has made good on its underpayment.

Assisted living community development

The board of commissioners got their first peek at the civil engineering documents for the assisted living community development project during their October meeting.

The Hospital District is working with John McLean, Principal Architect for Blue Room Architecture and Design, and Ron Asmus, specializing in building design and construction. Preliminary documents show the site, north of the hospital campus, will support five, ten-bed units.

Dental office project

Davis Construction, Walla Walla, was the lowest responsible bidder for constructing a new dental office at the Columbia Family Clinic, which will serve Medicaid patients. The bid was $345,000.

2021 budget

The 2021 budget and levy certification will take place at a special meeting on Nov. 12.