WJ Mangold Memorial Hospital and Cogdell Clinic in Lockney, TX (Photo FCR)
LOCKNEY, TX – The Lockney General Hospital District Board of Directors met July 29, 2026, for its regular meeting, where members approved a renewed ambulance lease, set the district’s fiscal year 2027 tax rate, reviewed June financial and operational reports, and received updates on hospital staffing, technology, grants and other projects.
President Marlon McDonald called the meeting to order after a quorum was declared at 12:30 p.m. Members present were McDonald, Becky McPherson, Zach Cummings, Secretary/Treasurer, and Dar Lee Foster. Vice President Lonny Hooten was absent. CEO Vince DiFranco, CFO Travis Watkins and CNO Jason McDonald also attended.
The board approved a 12-month renewal of the City Ambulance lease at 104 N. Main St. Vince DiFranco presented the terms of the renewal and said the rent will increase by $100 per month beginning August 1 due to additional maintenance expenses experienced throughout the year.
The renewal was approved following a motion by McPherson and a second by Cummings.
The board also approved the Lockney General Hospital District’s fiscal year 2027 tax rate at $0.70764.
DiFranco presented tax rate information from the Floyd County Appraisal District. The No New Revenue Rate was listed at $0.69226, while the Voter Approved Rate was $0.74764. The current-year tax rate is $0.82145.
McPherson made the motion to set the fiscal year 2027 tax rate at $0.70764, with Cummings seconding. The motion was unanimously approved by the board. DiFranco will notify Floyd County Chief Appraiser Jim Finley of the decision.
Board members reviewed the hospital’s June 2026 statistical and financial reports. Clinic and hospital activity volumes were above May utilization.
The Lockney Clinic recorded 785 provider visits during June. The hospital had two acute admissions, accounting for seven patient days, along with five observation patients.
The Emergency Room recorded 159 visits, which was below the average. A total of 19 procedures were performed, including 12 through the pain management service and seven operating room procedures.
The laboratory performed 2,970 tests, while Radiology recorded 208 studies, including 48 CT scans.
The Transitional Care, or Swing Bed, program had one discharge accounting for 38 patient days. There were also six outpatient specialty infusions during June.
Physical Therapy recorded 305 overall visits, including 297 outpatient visits.
June Financial Report Shows $154,434 Net Loss
CFO Travis Watkins presented the June financial statements.
Total gross revenue, or charges, for June was $1,148,161, compared with a budget of $1,915,380 and $1,470,265 in June 2025. Other operating revenue totaled $57,548.
Adjustments totaled $485,294, representing 42.27% of total gross patient revenue. Overall expenses were $977,898, which was significantly below budget. Non-operating revenue totaled $103,049.
The hospital reported an overall net loss of $154,434 for June, bringing the net loss for the fiscal year to $31,870.
Following discussion, the board approved the financial report.
The board received an update concerning the 2026 Disproportionate Share Hospital program.
DiFranco said the Texas Health and Human Services Commission did not accept a proposed 12-month repayment plan for advances received by the hospital. The state did agree to a six-month payment plan, with W.J. Mangold Memorial Hospital making payments of $43,118.89 per month.
The first payment was made July 15, with the final payment scheduled for December 15, 2026.
DiFranco also reported that information regarding the Texas Uncompensated Care Program intergovernmental transfer had been received. The IGT is due September 1, with payment from HHSC expected before the end of September.
CNO Jason McDonald updated the board on activities within the Nursing Department.
A new registered nurse has been hired for the night shift. Jason also presented hospital information to South Plains College, which is graduating nine LVN students.
The hospital has also installed both the Next Gen 911 and Pulsara systems, with testing underway. According to the report, the systems will allow the hospital to better communicate with EMS providers and track ambulance activity and will be particularly valuable during disaster response.
A Trauma Nursing certification class is scheduled to be held onsite August 4-5 for registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses who work in the Emergency Department.
DiFranco provided updates on several grant-related efforts.
The hospital’s Texas Strong grant applications for Initiative 1 and Initiative 4 are currently in the “negotiation phase.”
Initiative 1 focuses on improving the health of rural residents in Texas. Initiative 4 is aimed at increasing the healthcare workforce through recruitment of a physical therapist, licensed professional counselor and two community health workers.
The Initiative 4 proposal also includes scholarships for three RN students and one physical therapy assistant student.
The hospital also received an update on its RHSP grant. Representatives from Forvis Mazars were onsite July 28 to observe registration processes in the clinic and Emergency Room.
According to DiFranco, the representatives were complimentary of the attitudes of hospital staff and their interactions with patients. A written report with recommendations to improve the structure of the department and registration processes will be provided to DiFranco. The group will also develop a customer service training program to be presented in September.
The hospital plans to change internet providers to AW Broadband during August. DiFranco told the board the change will result in significant savings in expenses.
The hospital will also explore proposals for its phone service vendor over the next several months.
The W.J. Mangold Memorial Hospital Foundation has scheduled its third annual Color Run for Saturday, August 29, in conjunction with Lockney’s Old Fashioned Saturday.
Sponsor packets were made available to board members for local businesses that may be interested in supporting the event.
The board also reviewed recommendations from the Medical Staff Quality Improvement Committee and approved credentialing requests for three providers:
Dr. Robert Garcia, ER/Hospitalist — Initial Appointment, Courtesy Staff
Dr. William Reding, ER/Hospitalist — Initial Appointment, Courtesy Staff
Dr. Kris Nathan, Radiologist — Initial Appointment, Consulting Staff
The credentialing recommendations were approved following a motion by McPherson and a second by Cummings.
The board also reviewed minutes from the Hospital Wide Quality Committee meeting held June 17. No board action was required from that meeting.
The next meeting of the Lockney General Hospital District Board is scheduled for August 26, 2026. The July 29 meeting adjourned at 1:37 p.m.
