Hospital commissioners vote in favor of $6.4 bond to place on November ballot

After committing $4.9 million for projects at East Adams Rural Hospital at the May board meeting, the Adams County Public Hospital District No. 2 Board of Commissioners unanimously approved placing a $6.4 million bond on the special election ballot in November.

The initial $4.9 million committed by the board of commissioners allowed the contracting company Apollo to begin moving forward with construction to bring the hospital up to code with the Department of Health requirements.

The commissioners discussed at the end of the May meeting the desire to place a bond on the upcoming ballot in order to complete multiple improvement and necessary projects in concurrence with the current projects.

The bond amount, not to exceed $6.4 million, is being placed before voters during the special election on Nov. 4. The bond resolution states the funds are to renovate and modernize the existing hospital.

While the rate per thousand of property tax being taxed to citizens still is not finalized, Commissioner Eric Walker estimates the rate is $.59 per thousand, a significantly lower amount than presented when the board ran a $9 million bond last year.

After the bond to build a new hospital failed last year, the board of commissioners focused on meeting the requirements set by the Department of Health.

Walker explained one of the major reasons the new bond is lower than the previous bond, even though the cost of renovating the existing hospital is virtually the same as building new, is because the hospital is a lot healthier.

Snyder attributes the change to CEO/CFO Gary Bostrom’s leadership, and the hospital is slowly seeing the bottom line improve since Bostrom joined the staff.

The gradual increase in revenue is a significant part of the reason the board committed the $4.9 million to begin the necessary upgrades within the facility.

The unanimous vote to place the bond on the special election ballot in November was made by Commissioner Stacey Plummer and seconded by Walker.

Earlier in the meeting, Chairman Jerry Snyder explained the floor plan presented by the Building Committee is a design, but the design of the front of the building is not definitive. The design was presented to the building committee by the consulting firm NAC.

The proposed floor plan would include a covered ambulance bay, moving all of the emergency room services near the bay, adding a conference and break room, and providing the potential addition of two, double occupancy rooms to the portion of the hospital near the Physical Therapy building.

These renovations, along with multiple other additions and changes to the layout of the hospital, are noted in the floor plan document provided by NAC.

One of the most noteworthy changes is also the relocation of the helipad from the corner of Ninth Avenue and Adams Street, to the rooftop near Tenth Avenue.

Commissioner Walker moved to approve the floor plan presented by NAC with acknowledgement of potential adjustments as needed, and Commissioner Ross Heimbigner seconded the motion.

Snyder continued to say the approximant cost of the project is $11 million in order to make improvements to the hospital and also stay in compliance with the Department of Health.

The initial monies committed by the hospital board of commissioners is being used to upgrade the electrical system and install a new fire-safety sprinkler system within the building, as well as purchase a second boiler.

During the discussion portion of the June meeting, hospital commissioners expressed the desire to complete multiple projects at the same time with the intent of improving the hospital and reducing the overall construction time by not having multiple projects throughout the years.

Snyder also expressed the concern of not knowing what may be found in the initial projects, such as asbestos, and having the ability to deal with the entire issue instead of solely a small portion was desirable to the board.

The Board of Commissioners are now beginning to form a committee to assist with the planning of the projects before addressing the community.

The Board intends on hosting multiple public forums throughout the local communities to gain feedback and answer questions regarding the bond and the essential needs of the hospital.

Informational brochures will also be sent and available at the hospital at a later date, Snyder explained.