The Town of Mamou’s council heard from Savoy Medical Center’s CEO Eugene Burge during its Wednesday meeting who shared proposed changes coming to the Mamou based hospital.
Burge shared that Savoy Medical Center, along with Mamou Mayor Ricky Fontenot and the town council have proposed a reduction in the number of licensed hospital beds the hospital will now offer. “Reducing the number of beds will allow us to more accurately reflect the work we do daily in our hospital,” said Burge. “Our average daily census is about 35, but we maintain 176 rooms as part of our commitment to safety. This reduction will open many possibilities for us.”
According to Burgess, the current licensed bed number prevents Savoy from applying for different government funding and hospital programs, such as swing beds and inclusion in the Rural Hospital Preservation Act.
“Eliminating the upkeep on unused rooms will save us maintenance dollars and free unused space to potentially lease to other medical providers,” said Burge.
It was just a mere five years ago that SMC was faced with the possibility of closure. However, since partnering with CHRISTUS Health, the Town of Mamou, and the board of governance, the hospital today has stabilized daily operations and an improved financial position each year.
In a statement from Mayor Fontenot, she shared, “Now is the time for us to look forward to strategic long-term growth for our future.”
Fontenot continued, “It is the consensus of our governing boards that reducing the number of beds will provide opportunities in cost reduction and growth we haven’t been eligible to explore before. We see this a great opportunity for our hospital and as a testament to how far we’ve come in stabilizing health care for our community in just five short years.”
During the April 10 meeting, Burge also informed the council and mayor that although the licensed bed number would be reduced, SMC does not anticipate any reduction in staff.
Mayor Fontenot said, “You can be confident we have fully vetted all options with healthcare consultants, financial experts and the full support of our boards, including CHRISTUS Health.”
These changes, according to Burge, will cause “no interruptions in daily hospital operations.” He continued, “But, we do hope to open many possibilities for future growth in Mamou with this decision.”
The council collectively agreed this change would be in the best interest of the hospital and the Town of Mamou and agreed to have the hospital to move forward with its plans.
The council during its recent meeting also authorized a cooperative endeavor with the Evangeline Parish Police Jury for a chip seal project that will result in a parking lot at the town’s walking park.
Council member Charles Reed then brought up the issue of burning leaves within town limits. According to Reed, there is currently an ordinance in place that does not allow for leaves to be burned within town limits. However, he requested the council look into devising a plan where certain sections of the town could burn leaves on different days.
This discussion was prompted by the fact that Reed said the leaves are stopping up the culverts in town.
Councilwoman Leisa Deshotel suggested that each councilmember let her know when they would like their district to burn leaves and she would publicize it for the residents to know.
Other items approved were:
Adoption of a resolution opposing a proposed State centralized collection of sales taxes.
Adoption of a proposed ordinance increasing the salary of the elected Chief of Police by $750 a month.
Adoption of a proposed ordinance increasing the salary of the elected Mayor by $750 a month.
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ELIZABETH WEST Managing Editor