Maverick County Hospital District loses $573,459 during 2014-2015 Fiscal Year
By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2015
The Maverick County Hospital District lost a total of $573,459 during its 2014-2015 Fiscal Year, announced MCHD Chief Financial Officer Nestor Bonilla at the MCHD Board’s meeting held on Tuesday, October 6, 2015. The financial losses continue to mount on the local hospital district. In order to pay for this $573,459 budget deficit or loss during the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the MCHD has had to withdraw these funds from its reserves once again.
Board member Ricardo E. Calderon noted that the loss for 2014-2015 fiscal year would have been greater, closer to $941,067, had the Hospital District not sold its Bibb Avenue real property during late August 2015 which added $367,608 to the 2014-2015 fiscal year coffers. The sale of the Bibb Avenue real property on or about August 26, 2015 saved the Maverick County Hospital District from losing a greater amount close to $941.067. Calderon has voted against approval of deficit budgets balanced by reserve funds or tax rate increases during the past three years while serving on the MCHD Board.
Calderon noted that the financial model used by the Maverick County Hospital District is broken and requires new and innovative solutions and strategies to balance the local hospital district’s fiscal year budget. Calderon requested MCHDChief Executive Officer Terri Contreras-Patlan and fellow Board members to balance the MCHD’s 2015-2016 fiscal year budget by August 30, 2016, which a majority of the Board approved with another $500,000 plus deficit at an earlier meeting on September 1, 2015.
Other action taken by the MCHD Board at its October 6, 2015 meeting included the approval to request for proposals for the General Counsel position of the Hospital District currently held by Brin & Brin of San Antonio, Texas on a split vote with Calderon and Ronal Hixson in favor while Juan Manuel Farias against; the approval of the Ryan White Program HIV Contract with the Brazos Valley Council of Government for 2015-2016 fiscal year on a unanimous 3-0 vote; the tabling of Dr. Sergio Zamora’s contract for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Services Program with Farias and Hixson in favor while Calderon was in favor of immediate approval; the tabling of the possible appointment of a new replacement Board of Director to fill the vacancy of former Board Chairman Joaquin L. Rodriguez due to Board Secretary and Treasurer Humberto Durans’s absence at the meeting with Farias and Hixson in favor while Calderon against further delay; and took no action on any of its Executive Session agenda items once in Open Session.
The MCHD Board also received a report from CEO Contreras-Patlan that Methodist Healthcare System Cardiology Group had withdrawn from its contract to provide cardiology services to the Hospital District and Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center because the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center’s Medical Committee had denied its original application for hospital privileges and had delayed their decision on their second application. The Board expressed their total disappointment and dismay of the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center’s Medical Committee denial of Methodist Healthcare System Cardiology Group hospitial privilieges. The Board noted this decision is a tremendous loss to the healthcare of over 60,000 Maverick County citizens and taxpayers.
