Thursday, April 25, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
A consultant with a national hospital accreditation board told the County Commission that University Medical Center is one of the best-run public hospitals of its size.
Dr. Russell Massaro, a consultant with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations, said Wednesday he has not found any problems with UMC after spending several days reviewing its operations.
Massaro has been paid $20,000 to evaluate the nonprofit, government-run hospital's performance and point out any problems before its accreditation in November.
"I have not found any unique areas that represent deficiencies that are unusual or that the board should be concerned about," said Massaro, who also serves on the New York Mental Health Services Board. "I have found that for a public institution of this size, UMC is one of the best-run hospitals of its kind."
The hospital goes through the accreditation process every three years. During its 1993 audit, UMC received a 93-94 percent rating, said William Hale, chief executive officer for the hospital.
Hale said Massaro has not found any deficiencies yet. "He's helping us prepare for the big exams," Hale said.
Massaro noted that UMC has been aggressive in changing its systems organization, keeping current with technology and providing a high quality of care.
Massaro told board members that unlike in the past, when surveys focused on different departments and hospital management, this year will focus more on performance and service to the community.
Part of that focus includes how the governing board responds to the needs of the community through the direction and resources it provides to the hospital staff, Massaro said.
The County Commission sits as the hospital board of trustees.
"We will have to become familiar with what's going on at the hospital because we're expected to know," said Commissioner Paul Christensen, who also is chairman of the hospital board.
Massaro said board members could be asked about the hospital's performance, the structure of senior management and what policy decisions they've made to improve patient outcomes.
Massaro explained the accreditation process and the concerns the surveyors will be looking for, mainly as a briefing to the three new commissioners who were elected after the last accreditation survey was conducted.
For several years, UMC has been struggling to overcome financial problems and a reputation that its medical services are not as good as those provided in a private hospital.
Last May, hospital officials were projecting a $6.5 million budget deficit this year. But after posting profits six months in a row, the hospital is now anticipating ending the 1995-96 budget year in the black, posting total annual profits of $32,126 through February.
"We've been operating at a profit before subsidies for the past six months in a row," Hale said.
Hale said the hospital will be presenting next year's budget in a couple of weeks and it will be much healthier than the current budget.
That robust fiscal health indicates the high quality of service being provided at UMC, Hale said.
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