Box Butte General Hospital Reports Major Quality and Growth Milestones
Box Butte General Hospital (BBGH) Board of Trustees met on Monday, June 29, 2026, in the Alliance Room. During the board meeting, leadership celebrated the June Employee of the Month, Registered Respiratory Therapist Toni Girard. They also welcomed new team members including Marketing College Intern McKenna Ruffing, Patient Registration Clerk Amanda Ramirez, Respiratory Therapist Lisa Grasman, Insurance Billing Specialist Caitelyn Hesseltine, Maintenance Techs Peter Herrington, Zachary Young, and Ronald Shaw, and Environmental Services Tech Coralys Vazquez. Two transfers within BBGH were also recognized, Patient Registration Manager Stacey Petrachek and Health Information Management Manager Meg Craig. The Board approved the consent calendar, financial report, and credentialing requests.
Quality and Safety Report
BBGH achieved several important technology and quality milestones. Quality Management Specialist Summer Gonzalez reported to the Board that the hospital launched the USCDI standardized data sharing which allows secure exchange of patient information across health networks, and the Electronic Lab Reporting (ELR) which will automatically send reports of infectious diseases directly from the lab to public health agencies. BBGH was also recognized as one of only three hospitals in Nebraska to achieve a C. diff infection rate of zero for the reporting period of September 2024 through June 2025. The hospital has also remained CAUTI (catheter-associated urinary tract infection) and CLABSI (central line-associated bloodstream infection)-free for two and a half years, and dialysis specifically has gone four months without an infection. “This is a milestone that reflects the hospital’s strong infection prevention program, and the teams involved in this achievement are making an incredibly positive impact in our patient care,” said Gonzalez.
Chief Officer Reports
Chief Nursing Officer Erica Lauder’s report to the Board included many important and impactful highlights:
The Chronic Care Management program saw an explosive growth. BBGH partnered with a specialized care team in March and has grown enrollment to over 200 patients in just three months. The contracted team has identified 400 more eligible patients and expects enrollment to continue growing rapidly. Practice Administrator Lucas Thompson spoke about the success of the program in the Greater Nebraska Medical & Surgical Services Clinic and recognized Tirah Cox, Population Health Nurse. “She has taken on 100 of those patients and is managing them all very well. We are proud of her work and commend her for taking on a large part of this program.”
A new OB monitoring system is now live. The upgrade includes two mobile units that can be used in the PCU, ultrasound, and ER departments and two stationary units in labor and delivery rooms. The two wearable units allow patients to shower or walk the hallways while still being monitored. The system also offers improved viewing capabilities so nursing staff do not need to continue repositioning the equipment.
Remote Patient Monitoring is on track to launch in August. Under the Rural Health Transformation Act, BBGH was awarded a grant that allows patients discharged from the ER, PCU, or clinic to be sent home with monitoring equipment including blood pressure cuffs, glucometers, pulse oximeters, and scales, to support their recovery and reduce the need for readmission.
Lauder also updated the Board on BBGH’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program. “Only 17 to 25% of U.S. hospitals have SANEs on staff. These nurses are specifically trained for sexual assault cases which includes interviewing victims, completing an examine, collecting evidence, and offer therapeutic communication during a vulnerable moment. BBGH currently has two trained nurses, and now the hospital is partnering with Capstone to send additional staff for both adult and pediatric training,” reported Lauder. “Expanding this capability means BBGH would serve as the closest SANE resource for communities including Gordon, Rushville, Bridgeport, Chadron, Crawford, and Hyannis.” Capstone is also generously donating Cortextflo, a roughly $25,000 imaging device to support the program. “This is a tremendous effort from Capstone and an important commitment from our nurses to serve our community,” said Lauder.
Chief Executive Officer Gabe Behling report to the Board included a new contract with Holiday Inn Express to continue offering Aquatic Therapy through the Rehab Center. Negotiations also secured discounted rates for physicians, staff, consultants, and patients who need to stay overnight before or after receiving care at the hospital.
BBGH’s facilities continue to see improvements with the basement renovation finished, the ultrasound room complete and scheduling of patients, and new dietary equipment planned for installation. Up next, Behling and his teams are considering an expansion of the occupational therapy space, additional infusion chairs to meet growing patient demand, and planning for offering more services in Hemingford.
For safety and security, Behling told the Board that the Nebraska State Patrol will provide human trafficking awareness education for both staff and the wider community, with BBGH sponsoring the public session. Law enforcement engagement has been a major win as the hospital and various agencies continue to meet and share information. In cybersecurity, Behling praised the IT department for detecting and stopping a penetration attempt in June. The incident provided valuable learning and led to a shift in the security testing plan. On the administrative side, a comprehensive human resources project is underway, covering the full employee lifecycle: recruitment, onboarding, evaluations, promotions, retention, and exit processes. The Chief Quality Officer position and Chief Operations Officer position both received numerous applicants and interviews are ongoing. A strategic planning process is also being developed for senior leadership and the Board.
Financial Report
BBGH's financial position improved significantly heading into summer. Days cash on hand reached 98 days as of June 29, 2026, recovering from a low of 76 days at the end of May. Key contributors included a $2.6 million fourth-quarter State Directed Payment received in late June. Patient revenue is running strong at $112 million year-to-date, compared to $107 million during the same period last year. The hospital continues to see an increase in Medicare utilization. A self-pay process overhaul has consolidated account management so that one team handles the full life of a self-pay account, improving consistency and follow-through for patients. This new workflow will greatly improve the billing process for staff and patients.
The Board approved the 2026–27 operating budget, which includes employee raises. “From the entire staff, we would like to say thank you,” Behling told the Board.
Medical Staff Report
The medical staff elected new officers: Dr. Tim Narjes as Chief of Staff, Dr. Derek Shafer as Vice Chief of Staff, and Dr. Christina Holbrooks as Secretary/Treasurer. The Board ratified these officers as well as the medical directors listed across each clinical specialty. Medical staff leadership has been actively involved in recruiting efforts, with interviews underway for two nurse practitioners, a hospitalist physician, and additional ER coverage. Leadership is optimistic that these key positions will be filled by October.
The meeting moved into executive session at 1:10 PM. The next board meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 27, 2026, at noon in the Alliance Room. The public is welcome to attend. Box Butte General Hospital is an equal opportunity provider and employer.