Ashe Mountain Times

County representatives are eyeing the final closeout of a long standing mental health provider in the High Country with a sense of optimism and resolve.

The New River Service Authority interim board authorized the singing of three documents concerning Wednesday afternoon the transfer of medical records to the local management entity, Smoky Mountain Center.

Board members were unanimous in the decision to transfer the records and approved (4-1) an expenditure of $50,000 to SMC for the future handling of those documents.

“This gets the medical records out of our possession and into two organizations that are still operating,” said Watauga County Commissioner Nathan Miller, who cast the lone nay vote to the expenditure sum. “We've got a major hurdle taken care of.”

The board was also unanimous in a decision to authorize its attorney, Bruce Kaplan, to represent them on an appeal to the N.C. Division of Medical Assistance of an over payment of $2.1 million in Medicaid claims to NRSA.

Auditors with the state agency did not report any evidence of embezzlement or misappropriation of funds in the review, but did list several bookkeeping errors, poor financial management, missing staff certifications and poor record keeping practices among other citations. 

Kaplan was also authorized to defend the NRSA board in regards to a newly filed action by Crossroads Behavioral Health Care concerning undelivered services by the defunct provider.

 

Close out and vehicles

Acting NRSA executive officer Peggy Wallace told the board Wednesday that the auction of vehicles that once belonged to New River had, to date, accumulated $144,798.68 with $22,000 left to be collected.

Wallace also said the closeout of NRSA was now “closer to final stages.”

In other business, Wallace said the cleaning of computer hard drives and the disposal of computers and telephones will begin soon per HIPPA regulations.

New River ceased operations in October, and a skeleton staff has remained in place to assist in the final closeout of the provider.

Staff members are now preparing the organization, cataloguing, and the proper storage of business and personal records while “purging the ones” they can, said Wallace.

“It's going as well as expected,” said Wallace about the closeout. “We are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Only two staff members will be left after this week.”

Ashe County's representative to the board, Commissioner William Sands, is pleased with the progress the interim board has made.

“It's going good and we are looking to forward closing this out,” said Sands. “We want to do our best in doing so and for the benefit of the counties.”

The interim board is scheduled to meet again at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 26 in Wilkes County.