More than 120 people gathered at Butler Memorial Hospital Monday night for the hospital board's annual meeting.

They heard the hospital is doing better financially this year than last year while the number of patients has leveled off.

According to state law, all nonprofit charitable trusts, such as BMH, must have one public meeting annually and include time for public comment.

But those who showed up Monday night were told by board chairman William Bessor the board would have its meeting as usual, including four presentations, and then if time permitted, the board would answer written questions from the public.

Hospital staff then handed out note cards and pens to the audience of about 105 in the hospital's Philips Hall. Another 20 or so people were in Dimmick Hall watching the meeting by closed-circuit television.

Bessor's declaration was met with some loud grumbling, but the meeting continued.

Joseph Stewart, hospital president and chief executive officer, presented a list of accomplishments, such as the hospital's national ranking in excellence according to such sources as Forbes Magazine, as well as a list of services the hospital provides.

Anne Krebs, the hospital's chief financial officer, said the hospital is on better financial ground than last year.

For the fiscal year July 2004 to June 2005, Krebs said the hospital earned $145 million and spent $135 million leaving $10 million for equipment updates, employee education and charity care.

In fiscal year 2003 to 2004, the hospital made about $130 million.

She pointed out patient admissions to the hospital have reached a plateau in the past year with 13,685 as compared to 13,674 in 2004. Krebs attributed this to the hospital's lack of room.

The hospital's stability is reflected in the number of jobs it has created in recent years and the number it plans to create in years to come.

In 2004, the hospital employed 1,265 with a payroll of $54 million. By the end of 2006, Krebs said, the hospital should have 1,326 employees. The board plan to add 230 more jobs by 2014.

Outpatient visits continue to climb, with 382,758 in 2005, up from 2004's 362,830.

The increase in these visits and the national health care trend to the expansion of outpatient care is one reason the hospital board has hired the Astorino firm of Pittsburgh to study if it is feasible for the hospital to split off its outpatient care to a secondary campus on Benbrook Road in Butler Township.

Members of that firm made a presentation on similar national trends and how their study for BMH will be done. It is to be completed by "midwinter."

When that presentation was done, it was 9:20 p.m. and hospital spokesman John Righetti said the board would take up the audience's written questions. That was met with laughter and groans from the crowd who yelled about the presenters' "perfect timing," leaving only 10 minutes for questions.County resident Jack Beiler stood up and said the meeting had been a "sham," as it had been advertised as a public meeting, but the public was not being given time to address the board.Bessor and the hospital's solicitor Tom King told Beiler he was out of order.Righetti read several questions with hospital administrators answering them, and at 9:30 p.m. Bessor called the meeting to a close. However, he said the meeting would continue if the rest of the board wanted to answer additional questions.Board members said they did, which seemed to surprise Bessor, who continued the meeting until 10 p.m.During that question-and-answer session, Stewart said he would be happy with about 30 percent privateroomsin a new hospital. However, he said cost would drive that part of a new design and if having private rooms would be too expensive but the public wants it, then the hospital could turn to the hospital's foundation for additional construction dollars.Stewart also promised any new construction would be done with union labor.