Information Technology Specialist John Stinnett provided a presentation on cybersecurity during the regularly scheduled meeting of the Harney County Health District Board of Directors on April 27.

The board also reviewed Cybersecurity: The heat is on, an article by John Morrissey, and Who’s phishing for your data?, an article by Geri Aston. Both articles discuss how hospitals can defend themselves against data thieves.

Following the presentation, the board discussed Harney District Hospital’s (HDH’s) cybersecurity polices and procedures and ongoing efforts to maintain the confidentiality of patient information.

Stinnett recommended that, when using the Patient Portal, patients choose passwords that would be difficult for other people to guess. (The Patient Portal allows patients to make appointments, check accounts and statements, pay bills, fill out registration forms, access records, and get exam results online.)

The board also discussed a security risk that could result from patients improperly disposing of their medical correspondence. Patients are reminded not to place their confidential information in trashcans that can be easily accessed by the public.

•••

As part of the strategy discussion, HDH Chief Executive Officer Dan Grigg reviewed the work plan goals that were approved by the board in June 2015. These goals include attracting and retaining high-quality employees, expanding services to address community needs, continuously improving district operations, strengthening the financial base, and developing excellence in reputation and service to the community.

One of the objectives listed under the goal of attracting and retaining high-quality employees is to embed safe patient lifting and transport into the job requirements and culture.

Human Resources Director Sammie Masterson said efforts to improve safe patient handling and prevent workplace violence are ongoing. She reported that an employee survey regarding workplace violence was recently conducted to “get a feel for the culture,” adding that incidences of patient-caused violence have been underreported because staff tend to excused this behavior due to patient conditions such as dementia.

Masterson and Chief Nursing Officer Elaine Wulff said staff will be educated and trained on how to handle workplace violence, including methods for recognizing and de-escalating agitation.

One of the objectives listed under the goal of expanding services to address community needs is to add 10 new specialty surgical patients per month, compared to 2014 and 2015 averages.

E. Wulff said this year’s numbers are about the same as last year’s, but efforts are being made to increase specialty surgeries. She added that it’s a matter of finding the right people to perform the procedures.

Surgery Manager Dan Winn said it could be a matter of finding the right person, as a single individual can bring in 10 surgeries a month. However, he added that, because general surgeries are not being counted, this is a lofty goal.

One of the objectives for strengthening the financial base is reducing high-interest debt by at least $800,000 more than scheduled payments while maintaining $3 million cash on hand.

Grigg said efforts to reduce high-interest debt may need to be suspended  in order to build up cash on hand. So far, $300,000 of debt has been reduced this year.

Another goal for strengthening the financial base is developing a strategy to rejuvenate the activities and funding of the Health District Foundation.

During its meeting on April 11, the board’s governance and planning committee met with Sandra Obradovich and Gretchen Bates who provided an update on the current status of the foundation. They reported that the foundation is financially sound, and it continues to manage the endowment fund and interest earned. However, due to a decline in membership, the foundation has been unable to organize events or promote itself within the community.

Board members Ann Vloedman and Sharon Davis said they’d like the board to actively support the foundation.

Current strategies for rejuvenating the foundation include exploring resources through the Oregon Community Foundation to help maximize investments for the foundation’s endowment, meeting with the St. Charles Foundation to gain ideas for structuring the relationship between the hospital and foundation, and considering the possibility of having a district employee act as the foundation’s office support and point of contact.

Board chair Dan Brown suggested contacting the Eastern Oregon Healthy Living Alliance (EOHLA), as well. EOHLA is a newly formed nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve community health in Eastern Oregon.

Objectives for developing excellence in reputation and service to the community include developing Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with other community partners to coordinate and improve care for the population, creating “cultural accountability” by developing common expectations and ownership within district staff, and contracting for independent evaluation of district risk management programs.

Grigg said an MOU for behavioral health was completed with Symmetry Care Inc. and law enforcement, and additional MOUs are being reviewed.

Initial meetings have been conducted to begin defining standards for all employees in an effort to create “cultural accountability”.

The board engaged in a lengthy discussion concerning the importance of risk management and considered bringing in a risk management consultant to conduct an independent evaluation. Grigg said he appreciated the discussion and will report back to the board regarding this matter.

•••

Board member Rhonda Karges, who works for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), asked whether the board would be interested in hearing a presentation from the agency’s Community Action Committee.

The committee aims to enhance communications and strengthen relationships between the BLM and the people who live in Harney County. Goals include reestablishing an open dialogue with the public, facilitating a better understanding of how and why the BLM operates, and explaining how the agency invests in and works for the community’s well-being and success.

Karges explained that this could be an opportunity for the board to pose questions to local BLM staff.

Board member Shana Withee said she’d appreciate a general overview, and Brown said he’s in favor of anything that connects the health district to the community. Davis suggested that the presentation take place during the June 22 meeting.

•••

In other business, the board:

• received a report from HDH administration regarding the Lean journey, health district potluck, legislation concerning credentialing, Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization quality measure results, clinical department volumes, and the HDH Family Care clinic report;

• approved Brown, Vloedman, Withee, Davis, Karges, Grigg, Masterson, E. Wulff, board member Kaeko Blackburn, board secretary Susan Doverspike, Primary Care Director Ron Wulff, and Director of Clinical Services Stefanie Haines as signers on the Bank of Eastern Oregon (BEO) signature card for the general account;

• approved Grigg and Brown as signers on the  BEO signature cards for the HDH Family Care account and the money market/sweep account;

• reappointed Morris Book, MD (general surgery); Jolene Cawlfield, FNP (family practice); Cloe Shelton and Jeffrey Drutman, MD (radiology); Cody Byrnes and Ericka Luckel, PA (orthopedic); William Barstow, MD (OB/GYN); and Mitchel Brinks, MD (ophthalmology) to medical staff.

The next Harney County Health District Board of Directors meeting will be held Wednesday, June 1, at 6 p.m. in the HDH conference room.