DEKALB, Miss.-Kemper County has signed a 90-day contract with Emergency Medicine Resource Group, Houston, to manage 12-bed Kemper Community Hospital. Commissioners also are studying the possibility of selling the financially troubled county hospital. The facility, which also operates a 19-bed nursing home, hasn't had an acute-care admission in several months, said a county spokesman. According to the contract, EMRG will receive $1,000 a week and 25% of the hospital's net revenues in excess of $50,000 per month. An EMRG spokesman said the company is interested in purchasing the hospital, which has been losing money this year. No further financial information was available.
RICHMOND, Va.-Mid- to upper-level managers, not clinical personnel, are being targeted for staff cutbacks by Virginia hospitals, according to the annual hospital work-force report released last week by the Virginia Hospital Association. The report is based on an April survey of about 80 Virginia hospitals. Some 88% of the respondents said they are trimming managerial positions, and another 80% said they're targeting administrative-level jobs. By comparison, only 48% of the hospitals said they are cutting nursing positions. Some 50% are targeting clinical personnel other than nurses. Meanwhile, the hospitals reported a 3.2% vacancy rate for registered nurse positions, compared with 6.5% in 1993. That's the lowest reported registered nurse vacancy rate for Virginia hospitals since the VHA began recording statistics in 1990.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.-Jewish Hospital has signed a five-year agreement to provide inpatient, outpatient and emergency services to Humana Health Plan's 300,000 enrollees in the state. The value of the contract wasn't disclosed. Since 1993, the not-for-profit, 442-bed Jewish Hospital has contracted with Humana to provide transplant services. The new full-service contract, which took effect Sept. 1, gives Humana customers in Louisville access to all Jewish facilities, including Jewish Hospital in Shelbyville and Jewish Hospital Outpatient Center. However, the agreement doesn't cover Humana's Medicare enrollees. Other providers in the Jewish Hospital HealthCare Services regional network, including hospitals in southern Indiana, have separate agreements with Humana.
