A Note from Troy

Boone Health Status Report

“How are things at Boone?”

Whenever I’m asked this question, I pause. It’s not because this is a question that I don’t want to answer – Boone Health is an accountable organization, and we owe our community a clear picture of challenges as well as successes. It’s a question that requires more than a sentence to answer.

First, 2022 has been an exciting year for Boone Health. In our second year as an independent healthcare organization, we’ve opened new clinics, including Boone Health Plastic Surgery, and walk-in lab test collection sites in Centralia and Osage Beach. Boone Health Medical Group now includes over 100 primary care and specialty medical providers throughout mid-Missouri.

Through this time of growth and change, providing quality patient care has remained our top priority. I am proud of the incredible work that Boone employees and providers have done to retain our ranking as the #1 hospital in central Missouri by U.S. News and World Report for the eighth year in a row!

Like many hospitals across the nation, Boone Health has faced the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic including labor and supply shortages. These effects don’t only impact healthcare – your favorite restaurant may have changed their hours or temporarily closed their dining room. You may have seen empty shelves at your favorite supermarket. You’ve likely paid more for products and services as prices are raised to stay on top of rising supply costs.

But hospitals can’t use similar approaches to respond to shortages. We can’t close our ICUs on Mondays. We can’t let our supply shelves in the Emergency Department go empty. And we can’t raise our prices to refl ect increased expenses.

As a mission-driven organization, our priority in 2020 and 2021 was to protect and care for our community. When a hospital experiences surges of severely ill patients who need our help, stopping to analyze the costs of supplies, medicines, or personal protective equipment becomes less important than fulfi lling our mission. As the clinical aspect of the pandemic winds down, we can now refocus our efforts on long-term sustainability.

Even with nationwide challenges, we are responsible for Boone Health’s success. We’ve developed and launched a comprehensive plan to achieve the financial performance required for a health system with our high standards. Over the last 3 months, we have seen a significant reduction in our supply and agency staffing costs, thanks to our committed focus on recruiting new Boone Health employees, diligent negotiations with our suppliers, and innovative approaches to staffing and supply chains. These improvements reflect our staff’s commitment to ensuring that Boone Health continues to improve the health of the communities and people we serve.

Boone Health also remains strong because of your commitment. People don’t just say “I believe in Boone” – they live it. It’s why people continue to choose us to care for them and their families. It’s refl ected in the compliments we get from patients and visitors about the care and compassion they experienced. It’s exemplifi ed by our Employee and Leader of the Year and our employees’ years – sometimes decades – of committed service.

Another way individuals and organizations in our service area demonstrate their belief is through their support for the Boone Hospital Foundation. The Foundation funds programs at Boone which enhance patient care and promote community wellness, including specialized training and free health screenings. To learn more about how the Foundation makes Boone an even better place to work and to receive healthcare and how you can help, see page 30 in this issue of My Boone Health.

Thank you for believing in Boone!

Troy Greer CEO, Boone Hospital Center