Local hospital least costly in nation

A recent study has ranked Boundary Community Hospital in Bonners Ferry was the least costly rural health care facility of its kind in the nation.

“I was very surprised and very pleased,” said Craig Johnson, the hospital’s chief executive and financial officer.

Dartmouth Medical School made the conclusion after reviewing Medicare costs at 2,990 rural hospitals, according to study results. The average per capita Medicare cost at Boundary Community Hospital was $3,616, which was the lowest.

In comparison, the most costly rural hospital was in Graceville, Fla., where the average was $15,457.

Johnson attributes his hospital’s low costs to its doctors.

“The driving force behind this is our local physicians,” he said. “By not ordering unnecessary tests or procedures, our local physicians have helped to keep the cost of our rural health care, the lowest in the nation.”

Elden Koon, chairman for the hospital’s board of trustees, claims they are “pretty cost conscious.”

“We do our utmost to keep our costs down, but proficiency up, and I think we’ve done a good job at it.” Koon said.

Dr. Mike Melendez, the hospital’s consulting radiologist for nine years, also was surprised, yet pleased.

“Generally when studies are performed nationwide, the rural Northwest is excluded because of its proximity away from the Eastern schools that do studies and Washington, D.C.,” Melendez said.

He said the hospital attempts not to spend more than necessary.

“We know the cost of medicine is expensive,” Melendez said. “In Boundary County, we have many patients who are uninsured. To me, it’s please because the study says we are doing a good job.”