Waitaki District Health Services Ltd achieved its target, turning a small half-year deficit into a full-year $5401 pre-tax operating profit.
When company chairman George Berry announced the six-month deficit for the community-owned company back in March, he expressed the hope this would be recouped by the end of the 2012-13 financial year with ''a break-even or better end-of-year trading result'',This week he said that had been achieved by ''careful management'' resulting in increased income with a small reduction in costs.
The company, wholly community-owned through the Waitaki District Council, provides health services for the district, including owning and operating Oamaru Hospital. It also has the Waitaki Health Services Trust, which has more than $5.23 million invested from donations, bequests and surplus income from the health operations.
Mr Berry said the profit was achieved despite revenue from treating ACC patients being less than budgeted, following more careful scrutiny nationally of claims.
The continuing decline in ACC revenue was one of the challenges faced by the company.
However, future opportunities included providing aged care services for the district's high proportion of elderly, the Southern District Health Board devolving more services and closer integration of primary and secondary health care.
Revenue on operating health services increased from $11.591 million in 2011-12 to almost $12 million in 2012-13, $9.6 million from its contract with the health board.
Expenditure for health services decreased from $11.998 million to $11.937 in the 2012-13 year.
The trust earned $282,712 from its operation during the same year.
It helps fund additional services for the district from its income and surpluses it receives from the health services operation, including during the past year providing seed funding towards establishing programme to enable the hospital to employ newly qualified nurses.
A highlight of the year was its announcement of plans to build a retirement village on 8ha on Hospital Hill overlooking Oamaru.
The first stage - costing up to $15 million - would be 21 villas of up to three bedrooms, 12 apartments, 40 rest-home care beds in individual en-suite rooms and a community centre with library, chapel, technology, media and music rooms, fitness suite, gymnasium, hair salon and provision for indoor bowls.
Future stages, depending on demand, could include up to another 21 villas, 12 apartments and 40 hospital care beds. The final configurations will depend on designs yet to be carried out.
Mr Berry said there was still ''a lot of work'' to be done on the project, including getting sign-off from the council at each step.
Waitaki DHS numbers
• 6744 medical patient bed days.
• 1562 assessment treatment and rehabilitation bed nights.
• 113 births.
• 7457 outpatients treated.
• 185 women on post natal services.
• 7284 attendees at emergency department.
• 215 minor operations.
• 1152 hours of home support-personal care.
• 10,061 meals on wheels.
• 10,303 district nursing visits.
• 11,783 radiology treatments including 803 CT scans.
• 9 mobile surgical bus visits.
• 373 day chemotherapy treatments.
