Powell Valley Healthcare is buying some new equipment, including a more advanced mammography machine, after receiving a Medicaid supplemental payment of $1.65 million. 

The Qualified Rate Adjustment (QRA) supplemental payment program is run by the State of Wyoming with a subsidy from the federal government.

The Wyoming Medicaid QRA Supplemental Payment is designed to provide additional financial support to health care providers who meet the requirements set by the state, according to the state department of health. This payment is part of the broader Medicaid supplemental payment programs that aim to bridge the financial gap between federally allowable amounts and Medicaid claims.

The hospital receives the payment annually with the amount varying depending on the year. The hospital is also expecting a similar payment for the Care Center and a smaller one for EMS in the near future, noted former interim CEO Sean McCallister, who left his position Tuesday, a day after the November board meeting at which board members approved a number of purchases. 

The purchase of a just over $106,000 contrast enhanced mammography machine is being covered by the Powell Medical Foundation, and PVHC board members also approved an OR power supply source package for just under $70,000.

“Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) uses an iodine-based intravenous contrast agent to enhance visibility of blood vessels and abnormal tissues,” McCallister said. “CEM is quickly becoming the standard of care and a substitute for breast MRI.”

The hospital is also purchasing five new surgical laparoscopes for $24,570 total and new surgical cautery units for $38,595. 

The spending comes as the hospital’s financial position continues to improve. At the Monday meeting the finance department presented the latest numbers showing days cash on hand has risen to 31 days, which McCallister said is “a significant improvement over prior months” when the hospital’s reserves could at times cover around 20 days of operations without new revenue coming in. 

Boiler fix

The hospital is fixing the Powell Valley Care Center’s heating and cooling system to ensure systems don’t freeze in the winter after discovering the boilers were filled almost completely with water, as opposed to glycol which won’t freeze. 

Jason Frank, facilities management director, said they’ve been lucky the last few years that the weather has been warm. 

“We’ve been very fortunate not to freeze a system,” he said at the meeting. “If they did it would be catastrophic.”

Approximately five years ago a plumber who worked for Basin Mechanical at the time, and is now at the hospital, discovered a large glycol leak while in the Care Center crawl space. He immediately informed the facilities director that timely repair was crucial. 

While the company eventually fixed the leak, PVHC did not contract with a chemical company to refill the glycol, McCallister said in a report. 

“Thus, we confirmed this week that the entire system is currently filled with city water instead of glycol,” he said. 

The Powell Valley Hospital District board voted to go with the lower of two bids on the project, at just over $30,000, to HTO Chemicals company out of Guernsey, which hospital staff have done work with before.