VTH Board Minutes 3/28/2019

Updates: Info Only

Personnel –

• Julie Steinman will start in IT on April 1^st.  She will have a 50/50 appointment to manage the HIS for VTH and VADDS.
• Pam Long will be coming back briefly to evaluate efficiencies in the Storeroom
• Art Siegel will be finishing his work in the Pharmacy
• K. Stasi is interested in helping with StringSoft project.  Still evaluating role/need.
• Locums – we have depleted academic salary bank, requests for new locums must be approved by Dept. Head and VTH Director prior to coordinating. Before this year, open lines were reserved for use by that service.  However, this year surgery has used more than they have.

Facilities –

•     Capital projects are on schedule.  We have begun conversations with marketing and advancement to develop proposals for donor support of Intervention suite.

•     LAC admissions – remove waiting room wall and add window art, hallway branding – on going, positive feedback

•     SAC 245, 240a (DONE) and LAC 201 – painting, lights, ceiling, AV. Split between VTH and VCM

•     CT location – on-going, new date for cobalt removal will be week of June 17^th.  Looking at gamma camera room for temporary placement of I131 cats.  Other updates – we gave up 5 months of warranty to get unit at price point.  Still need to purchase couch/camera hardware for gaiting (~$50-85K).

Programs –

• We are establishing Sunset Funeral Homes as our private cremation vendor, effective July 1.
• Fee change – due to cost of reports, additional site requests for CT are $150 (up from $110) and fluoroscopy studies are $85 (up from $51).
  
  

3:00 VTH Research Adjustment Policy 

Board members reviewed draft policy.  Edits were made and board voted to adopt policy pending edits. ACTION ITEM: JW will update policy to reflect edits and will post on VTH policy website.

NEXT STEPS: Update Client Consent form policy

VDL Disposal Fee

Effective 1/1/19, the VDL implemented a disposal fee for all animals submitted by the VTH.  Only large animals have been charged for in the past.  The disposal fee is not paid for with the Necropsy Funds.  The disposal fee for small animals is $0.37/lb with a $5 minimum.  LA disposal fees are: $20 (50-149#), $40 (150-249#), $60 (250-499#), $80 (500-749#), and $170 (>750#).  Clients in LAC have been paying a disposal fee.  We will need to start charging clients in SAC. Discussion about establishing a charge for disposal when necropsy is not requested that could offset the need to charge disposal when a necropsy is requested.  ACTION ITEM: JW will determine how many general disposals without necropsy are performed vs with. 

VTH Tours

A request was made to allow students to bring their family through the VTH on tours.  VTH Board was supportive of this as long as student escorted the guests at all times and did not interfere with clinic operation. ACTION ITEM: JW will notify students.

Student ICU / Visitor Policy

There have been two incidents recently which resulted in conflict because a VTH patient’s owner was also a student.  A question has been called concerning privileges that should be afforded student owners of VTH patients.  VTH policy CliSvc105 (Client Admittance to Clinic Work Areas) and VTH policy CliSvc104 (Client Visiting Privileges) were distributed to the board members to review.  ACTION ITEM: JW will solicit feedback from members to draft modifications to these policies for board member consideration.

Equine Sports Medicine / Treadmill - Update

The treadmill engineers have evaluated the treadmill and determined that the equipment is in good condition.  The operating system is outdated and can be updated with new software.  They are also recommending that we replace the belt.  The total cost for this work, including labor and travel, is ~$35K.  Once completed, the treadmill should be operational and will allow for any trained personnel to operate the unit.  The equine faculty are in favor of pursuing this option as opposed to purchasing a new unit.  UPDATE: The Dean has approved this work and has made gift funds available to cover the cost.

VMSC Update 

The Illinois Simulator Laboratory has officially been renamed Veterinary Medicine South Clinic (VMSC).  It currently houses the Wildlife Medical Clinic and Shelter Medicine home base.  The Primary Care and Zoo Med services will be moving to VMSC in Dec. and plan to be operational by January, 2020.  We have hired Dr. Meredith Pieper as an academic hourly to help develop the practice model.  She is a private practitioner working in Decatur and will be spending one day/week working with our Working Grp.  Charge of the group is to define staffing level/duties, work-flow, work-scope, pricing/inventory, curriculum, etc.  This will be a full-service primary care practice and will be expanding our current primary care scope to include general surgery and dental procedures, as well as offer some urgent care services.  Discussions with VTH services regarding coordination and communication with specialists are on-going.

Equine Primary Care

Midwest Equine is undergoing some changes.  Dr. Zyrkowski has resigned and Dr. Catherine Foreman will be joining the practice.  Dr. Austin manages the VTH Equine Primary Care service but is also covering in-house equine medicine service.  From cost and efficiency standpoint, combining the VTH Equine Primary Care service with the MWE practice seems logical.  VTH Board members are supportive if we can make the service appointment work.  The purpose of MWE was to allow students to have access to a meaningful caseload and experience.  This has to be worked through.  Discussion ensued regarding need for satellite practice oversight.  Board members feel that role is delegated to the practice administrator.  ACTION ITEM: Recommendation to Dr. French that Drs. Austin and Foreman (with Madsen) should be scheduled for a meeting in the next 1-3 months to discuss a Primary Care rotation and service merger.  Once rotation is established and approved, VTH service can be merged.

Budget - Projections / Meeting Recap / Requests 

Financial – Review

Year-to-date (July 1, 2018-January 31, 2019)

Revenue is up 0.3% ($321K) but this is with a 2.75% price increase is actually 2.45% reduction from last year.  There was not a call for capital equipment but VTH Director’s office met with service chiefs to determine needs/wants.  A summary list was provided to board members.  There is no fund this year as the VTH Board decided to use FY20 capital money to finance equine surgery project.  Therefore, VTH Director’s office will work with CVM admin to determine necessary expenses and a funding plan.  Documents uploaded to box.