2007 Dynamic Dozen Honoree: Skaggs Community Health Center

Not many towns with a population of 7,000 people can boast a full-service, 177-bed hospital. But Branson isn’t an ordinary town.

Skaggs Community Health Center and its 24 satellite medical clinics in Taney and Stone counties serve a portion of the 8 million Branson tourists each year.

“The visitors present a unique challenge for us, because we’re here year-round and they come for three or four days,” said Skaggs CEO Steve Erixon.

“If they’re sick while they’re here, we need to be prepared to handle everything.”

Without forsaking Branson’s native population, Skaggs has tailored its services to the needs of the transient tourist population. For example, Skaggs can electronically send medical records to out-of-state doctors, and X-rays are placed on a CD-ROM instead of traditional film before being given to a patient.

Hospitals & Health Networks magazine has honored Skaggs each of the last four years for its use of computer technology.

“We’ve adapted, and that’s one of our strengths,” Erixon said.

Skaggs has adapted so well that it has increased annual revenues to $249.6 million, a 43 percent jump since 2004.

This is no small-town hospital.

“The services that they provide are just off the charts,” said Mike Rankin, economic development director for the city of Branson.

Rankin credited Skaggs with being a primary driver in Branson’s growth. Last year, Branson set a record of $215.9 million in new construction, led by the continued construction of retail development Branson Landing.

Trophy case

Hospitals & Health Networks magazine isn’t the only organization that has honored Skaggs. Since early 2006, HealthGrades has ranked Skaggs in three separate reports among the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide for clinical excellence.

HealthGrades – a “health care ratings, information and advisory services company,” according to its Web site – ranked Skaggs No. 1 in southern Missouri for its cardiac and cardiology services, gastrointestinal services, pulmonary services, coronary interventions and orthopedics, along with giving kudos for other services.

During the last 10 years, Erixon said Skaggs has increased tertiary offerings – highly specialized medical care such as the services listed above – with the aim of fueling growth.

Community needs

Skaggs is a big business, but it’s also a nonprofit, governed by a 14-member board of directors.

How does that affect its growth?

Primarily, Erixon said, it means Skaggs isn’t beholden to stockholders or bottom-line financials, which allows it to focus on community needs.

As a nonprofit, Skaggs doesn’t pay taxes. However, Erixon said it gives back to the community through a variety of means, including free flu shots and Medicare write-offs.

Last year, Skaggs contributed $19.6 million to the community in debt-forgiveness and charitable care beyond what it would have paid in taxes, according to Erixon.

“What a lot of people are saying is, ‘You look like a corporation, you act like a corporation, and are you doing corporate things or are you still maintaining that community benefit?’” Erixon said. “We think we meet the community benefit very, very well.”

Evolution

Skaggs of today sure isn’t the hospital Arkie Combs knew. Combs was Skaggs’ first-ever patient, and when he was admitted in 1950 the 25-bed hospital treated about four patients per day, according to Skaggs’ Web site.

Today, Skaggs logs 30,000 emergency room visits and 6,000 inpatient visits each year. Those numbers don’t include outpatient visits because those numbers are hard to track, according to Chief Marketing Officer Tracey Barton.

The hospital was established with a $300,000 donation from M.B. Skaggs, founder of Safeway grocery stores.

The hospital he built had five doctors on staff. Now, Skaggs boasts more than 160 doctors, representing 35 specialties.

“We don’t really care if you’re a tourist or somebody local,” Erixon said. “We’re still going to take care of you and love you.”

Information accurate at the time of the honor.[[In-content Ad]]