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Serving Mineral Wells and Palo Pinto County SATURDAy, AUGUST 18, 2018

BURN
Council mulls proposed budget
By DAVID MAY
editor@mineralwellsindex.com
BAN
Mineral Wells City Council on
A ban on outdoor Tuesday made its first significant
burning is in effect change to City Manager Lance
for Palo Pinto County Howerton’s proposed 2018-19 operat-
ing budget – deciding to reallocate
monies it has previously granted to the
SPORTS Mineral Wells Industrial Foundation.
Council unanimously voted during
Tuesday’s first budget public hearing
to place that $50,000 economic devel-
opment grant into an unallocated fund
with plans of putting those dollars
toward whatever new model of indus-
trial and business recruitment evolves
from the work of the city’s economic
development task force.
There are two big unknowns related
to the economic development task
force – what will the new model look
like and how much will it cost? Some
See COUNCIL, page 3
Coffee with the mayor
A town hall forum, called
“Coffee With the Mayor,”
is 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug.
23, at VFW Post 2399.
Citizens can ask ques-
tions and discuss topics Perricone
of interest with Mayor
Christopher Perricone and other
council members and city officials.
No action will be taken.

PPGH’s Risky New school

accountability
REVENUE grades a
mixed bag for
area districts,
TIME TO RAM-BLE
campuses
Another high school Santo, Strawn, Palo
football season is Pinto and Millsap ISDs
almost here. The receive high marks
Mineral Wells Rams
are getting ready with a By DAVID MAY
editor@mineralwellsindex.com
scrimmage this morn-
ing at Ram Stadium. Local reactions to the Texas
See SPORTS, page 16 Education Agency’s new A-F
grading system for the state’s
LIFESTYLES 1,247 public school districts are
about as varied as the grades
themselves.
MORE THAN
A CHAMPION
KUHN COMMENTARY
The Waxahachie-Ennis
game to open the 2018 Hospital pass-through billing An outspoken critic
football sea-
son is more
practice uncovered; officials call of how Texas funds
and assesses pub-
than a match-
up of area
it a ‘business issue’ unrelated lic education, Min-
eral Wells ISD Su-

to quality of care, services

perintendent John Kuhn
rivals. It Kuhn explains, then
marks the weighs in on, TEA’s latest grad-
return of a head coach By DAVID MAY those funds, which is now happening ing and scoring system.
editor@mineralwellsindex.com at PPGH, officials say. See OPINIONS, page 4
previously diagnosed

with multiple sclerosis.
See LIFESTYLES, page 10
INSIDE
Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Lifestyles . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Classifieds . . . . . . . . 12-13
Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . 15-16
CONTACT US
editor@mineralwellsindex.com
circulation@mineralwellsindex.com
sports@mineralwellsindex.com
Office: 940-325-4465
P
alo Pinto General Hospital in
recent years has been a financially
stable, profitable and even expand-
ing rural hospital. But an unapproved
pass-through billing operation has cost
its previous CEO his job, has the FBI
investigating and left hospital officials
worried about financial repercussions.
Pass-through medical billing is when
a provider or facility bills for procedures
not performed by the provider or the
facility. Most major insurance companies
will not pay pass-through medical bills
and some consider it fraud – especially
when done through smaller, rural hospi-
tals like PPGH because they are reim-
bursed at rates higher than larger, urban
medical facilities.
When insurance companies pay
but later learn that billing was done
through a pass-through system, they
often begin demanding the return of
Former CEO Harris Brooks was ter-
minated July 31 in a unanimous vote of
the Palo Pinto County Hospital
District’s board of directors, citing a
“breach of his employment agreement,
violation of hospital core values and
policies, including the policy regarding
board approval of certain contracts,
breach of fiduciary duty and the lack of
transparency and candor with the
board regarding the allergy and DNA
lab testing service line.”
Essentially, the board found that
Brooks, without required board approv-
als, entered into multi-million dollar
agreements using the controversial bill-
ing practice that has financially devas-
tated some small hospitals across the
nation. Struggling rural hospitals have
turned to the questionable billing prac-
tice out of desperation, a last resort to
keep the doors open. PPGH under
See PPGH,page 2
The grades and performance
scores are based on the 2017-18
State of Texas Assessments of
Academic Readiness (STAAR)
scores and other performance
standards of student achieve-
ment, school progress and clos-
ing performance gaps. The new
A-F grades are intended to make
it easier for parents and others
to compare and understand how
their local district and campuses
are performing.
The area school districts grad-
ing the highest were Santo ISD,
Strawn ISD, Palo Pinto ISD and
Millsap ISD, with each receiving
cumulative grades of B.
The news not all good in
Millsap. The elementary school
See NEW, page 11

Vol. 118 No. 30

MEMBER
2018
Tickets on sale for annual fashion, dinner show
The 14th annual Palo Pinto
General Hospital Auxiliary
TEXAS PRESS dinner & fashion show is
ASSOCIATION Monday, Sept. 10, at the
Mineral Wells High School.
Sunday Index
The theme for this year’s
gala is “DECADES OF
FASHION!” Tickets are $30
and can be purchased from
any auxiliary member or at
the hospital gift shop.
A delicious meal will be
served promptly at 6:30 p.m.
The meal will be prepared by
David Crawford’s Homerun
Catering.
All of your favorite local
stores will be participating
again this year.
“It’s a wonderful avenue
for these businesses to
See TICKETS, page 6

“Your Healthcare
Partner for 50 Years”
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