Over 200 gather to hear update on struggling Bucktail Medical Center

NORTH BEND, PA – With state Sen. Cris Dush, Cindy Kuhn from Congressman Glenn GT Thompson’s office, Clinton County Commissioner Angela Harding, officials from the PA Office of Rural Health and other officials in attendance, the hope that they can provide some type of lifeline for the Bucktail Medical Center in South Renovo weighed heavy as the BMC representatives updated the public up on the dire straits of their facility. The occasion was a Tuesday night public meeting at the Chapman Township Fire Hall.

CEO Tim Reeves explained that three separate issues happening all at once have put the BMC in a position of soon not being financially solvent.

Not getting a last employee retention credit payment, an insurance company that wants reimbursed $82,000 for services that the BMC provided and didn’t pay for and Medicaid requesting $255,000 back from 2018/19 fiscal year all became a reality for a non-profit hospital that already has a shoestring budget.

“We can get over one of those events, getting over all three of them is going to be difficult” Reeves solemnly explained.

After BMC Board President John Lugg gave a brief opening, updating the over 200 people on the fiscal problems that they are facing in South Renovo, those in attendance were offered to speak.

Speakers went back and forth between questions of things that they really aren’t happy with to others lauding praise, often times for having their lives saved at the BMC. Nearly every question was answered in some manner.

An example offered Tuesday night: when a person asked why when he called the BMC for an ambulance to respond to his house and take him to a hospital with a specialist was, he told no, that they had to take him to BMC. Reeves responded that that’s protocol if you call the hospital, had he dialed 911, there may have been a different outcome.

Reeves and the board members believe firmly that in addition to some type of immediate political help; only an increased volume of people using the facility can really save the day.

Reeves explained one scenario that involved Dr. Edwards, who was also seated at the head table.

Reeves said that using today’s twenty-four-hour shift, (an estimated) $100 an hour goes to the doctor’s salary, coming in at a cost of $2,400 a day to be available. Tuesday two patients were seen in the ER and the BMC will get reimbursed $250 for professional fees.

“The rest is a loss, in every rural hospital this is a problem and keep in mind you’re also paying nurses and for medical equipment”.

Reeves did admit to some problems including billing taking too long to go out and for the current status of the BMC remaining open. The CEO said that typically if they could meet payroll, he wouldn’t sound an alarm as the tight budget is an everyday issue facing the facility.

Reeves explained that in hindsight, perhaps he should have set the bar lower than meeting payroll, but that that model has been accurate within 3-4%.

The meeting was very cordial for the most part, in fact, the two times that the audience felt that the meeting was going off track, the majority of the audience greeted those with boos and yelled over top of them to stay on the subject of the BMC.

Still, issues like freezing wage increases were tossed out by the audience.

Sen. Dush said that behind the scenes politicians such as Angela Harding, State Rep Stephanie Borowicz, Rep. Thompson, and others are all working in a very non-partisan way to help the BMC.

“There is an asset here, there is no other hospital like this between Clearfield and Lock Haven, pay your bills, use them (BMC’s) for their services” the senator urged.

The one question that was asked multiple times that did not receive an answer: how long can the Bucktail Medical Center keep its doors open?