Morrow County Hospital President Mike Hyek (right) speaks with Jon Jones of Heartland.
Alberta Stojkovic | AIM Media Midwest
Morrow County Hospital (MCH) President Michael Hyek began his presentation to the Morrow County Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 15 with a look at statistics and demographic trends that influence the health care needs and decisions in the county.
Hyek noted OhioHealth has a primary care market share of approximately 75% in Morrow County with primary care physicians historically connected to MCH.
A notable statistic he presented is the projected growth over the next five years in the 18-44 age category of 3.1% and in the over 65 age group, with a projected growth of 16%. This pattern of population growth projects a likely need for increased health care services for residents in Morrow County.
Hyek explained the benefit of MCH’s status as a critical access hospital in having more favorable reimbursement as a rural hospital for government payers like Medicare. Among inpatient services, MCH has 25 beds, offers acute care services, a swing bed program, surgeries, and an intensive care unit.
MCH outpatient services include surgeries as well as imaging services like mammography, ultrasound, MRI, PET, X-ray, DEXA and nuclear imaging. Other outpatient services are lab services, a 24/7 emergency department, urgent care, heart and vascular testing, and the Medical Specialty Clinic which has specialists in dermatology, ENT, heart and vascular, nephrology, neurology, podiatry, pulmonology, urology and more.
Surgery services have grown with the addition of Dr. Robert Crowell in orthopedics, Dr. Michael Cray in general surgery, and Dr. Jessica Ball in ENT. Maternity/OBGYN services have been added with Megan Battin and Nichole Runyon. Patients can now get comprehensive obstetric care along with gynecological care in the county.
MCH Financial Officer Jason Gates said one important factor in the hospital’s success has been efficiency. As the payer mix of Medicare and commercial insurance fluctuates, it is important for the hospital to remain focused on using its resources as efficiently as possible.
Hyek noted Medicare and Medicaid typically have lower reimbursement rates than commercial insurance companies. Having a balance between governmental and commercial insurance is important to the financial success of all healthcare facilities, including MCH. Hyek and Gates agreed the hospital will need to maximize growth at a rate it can efficiently deliver services while maintaining a focus on the mix between governmental and private insurance payers.
Three positive news items Hyek mentioned about the hospital were the hospital’s well-attended 70th-anniversary celebration in 2022, MCH rating in the top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in 2022, and accreditation by the Joint Commission for Hospital Accreditation in October 2022.
MCH Board President Joe Dryer thanked Hyek for his leadership of the hospital over the past year. He added that the hospital board has been engaged and supportive as well as asking questions. He sees the overall position of the hospital and its future as positive.
Alberta Stojkovic is a correspondent for the Morrow County Sentinel.
