Dynamic Dozen: Skaggs Community Health Center

When operating a community health center in one of the fastest growing regions of the state, there's one key component to growth: flexibility. Skaggs Community Health Center officials believe they have the right formula in addressing those changes.

"We have a combination of both an in-depth strategic plan that we update annually with consideration given to the changing health care reimbursement system and the fast-growing population in our service area," said Skaggs Community Health Center CEO Bob Phillips. "We traditionally developed a three-year strategic plan and reviewed/updated that plan annually, but due to the changing environment and population increase, we evaluate our strategic direction every year."

Skaggs' gross revenues have grown from $119.4 million in 2001 to $174.8 million in 2003, a 46 percent increase.

The health center has gone from 696 full-time-equivalent employees and 99 beds in fiscal year 2001 to its current 810 full-time equivalent employees and 132 beds. The health center has more than 120 physicians providing medical care to inpatients and outpatients in two dozen specialties.

Between fiscal years 1998 and 2003, the number of inpatient admissions grew by 31 percent, the number of newborns by 13 percent, and the number of emergency room visits by 39 percent.

The health center's service area includes all of Stone and Taney counties, and adjoining counties in Missouri and Arkansas.

In the past three years, the health center has added Skaggs Pediatric Care, Skaggs Outpatient Center, Skaggs Regional Cardiac Center in affiliation with Washington University, Skaggs Medical Plaza-Hollister, Skaggs Southside Family Clinic, Skaggs Urgent Care Plus, Skaggs Orthopedic Associates, Skaggs Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine and Skaggs Sports & Performance Medicine, and relocated Skaggs Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehab to a new building on Missouri Highway 248.

Phillips credits the health center's board of directors with keeping the growth under control and heading in the right direction.

"We have an excellent board of directors that has moved its focus to concentrate strategically on what kind of services this hospital should be providing next year and two to five years out," Phillips said. "We have excellent physicians, employees and managers that have worked hard to provide a high quality of heath care to this service area while meeting the needs and increased demands of our population. Everyone involved has done an outstanding job in meeting those challenges."

Skaggs Outpatient Center, a $23-million, 112,000-square-foot building, was completed on the hospital campus in July 2000, according to Skaggs Communications Coordinator Mary Jo Fisk. Included is a five-story, 350-space parking garage.

The primary purpose of Skaggs Outpatient Center is to house all of Skaggs' outpatient medical services such as Same Day Surgery, Sleep Disorders Center, Radiology and Laboratory in one location. Also found in the building are doctor's offices, a retail pharmacy, Skaggs Medical Supplies, and the hospital's kitchen, cafeteria and dining room.

Skaggs also operates 19 satellite medical clinics in Branson, Branson West, Forsyth and Kimberling City, Fisk said.

Skaggs Community Hospital opened Jan. 8, 1950 with 25 beds.

An annex building of 40 beds was built in 1968 adjoining the existing hospital. Doctors Medical Building (now called Skaggs Medical Plaza Two) was built in 1974, and a three-story patient tower was added to the hospital in 1982. A $7-million, 67,000-square-foot project in 1991-1992 resulted in the construction of two additional floors to the patient tower, the four-story Skaggs Medical Plaza One, and a three-story parking garage.

Skaggs Community Health Center was organized as a voluntary, not-for-profit hospital and it is governed by a board of trustees through an elected board of directors.

"We are looking at improving and adding more services, physicians, and an additional patient tower along with additional physicians' offices," Phillips said. "The future is bright at Skaggs Community Health Center."