By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- Massena Memorial Hospital officials at their Monday board meeting said they are working with frequently admitted patients to address their health problems before they need a bed. However, it comes with a downside.

In June, they had no frequently admitted patients readmitted, down from more than 10 the same month in 2017. Comparative numbers from July were not available.

Raylene North, the MMH chief nursing executive, said they define frequently readmitted as three or more admissions in one month.

She said a team of healthcare workers are trying to help the repeat patients stop their frequent stays.

"We descended upon those patients with all resources available," North said, adding that frequent readmissions are "something hospitals try and prevent."

That comes with a financial cost. Their inpatient discharges have been decreasing, which has a severe effect on their monthly bottom line. In July, MMH discharged 143 patients compared to the 198 they planned in their budget. The hospital lost $956,655 that month. June's inpatient discharges were also below budget.

The CFO says they will have to keep expanding their outpatient services to make up the shortfall.

"Outpatient is growing. Unfortunately it takes a lot of outpatients to make up for one inpatient," MMH CFO Pat Facteau said, adding that he estimates it takes 40 to 50 clinical visits to make up for the insurance reimbursement from one inpatient.

Their outpatient volumes are growing, but aren't at a point where it is totally offsetting the inpatient lag.

Gilpin in her report at the meeting noted that clinics including Brasher, Louisville, cardiology and the MMH Medical Group saw volume increases between 13 and 36 percent in July.

Volume this year at their hospital-based clinics has risen about 54 percent compared to the same point last year, according to a financial and statistical summary made public at the MMH board meeting.