Newman Regional Health has increased its nursing recruitment placing it under the average turnover benchmark for the first time in five years.
During the Newman Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday afternoon, Chief Administrative Officer Cathy Pimple reported the hospital hired a total of 32 new nurses over the course of 2022, well above the 2021 total of 18. Pimple praised nursing leadership for the accomplishment.
Additionally, the hospital has already signed five new nurses for 2023 and are currently working to sign two more in the new year. Pimple says the biggest challenge will be to help avoid burnout and falloff for new nurses in the coming year.
Additionally Wednesday, board members approved the purchase of new radiology equipment for the hospital. According to Chief Financial Officer Holly French, the hospital was planning the purchase for further down the road, 2026 to be exact. However; after a component failure on the current technology, which has been in use for roughly 20 years, administration felt it pertinent to bump up the order to 2023.
The equipment should be delivered by sometime in January with payment to be made in full in May.
Financially, for the month of November, the hospital reported an operational loss but an overall net gain of $84,219 for the month.
The Newman Board of Trustees will convene for its first meeting of 2023 on Jan. 25 at noon.
