Hospital commissioners making unneccesary decisions

Our present Hospital Board of Commissioners made a decision to build a new hospital. They asked for nine million dollars and ignored public concerns. They had no back up plan for when the bond didn’t pass so the state finally made the decision for them. It was either repair the present facility or close the doors. Now they’re asking for a $6.4 million bond issue. The total money they are needing is $1.1 million more than before. It seems that it costs more to remodel the old facility than to build a new one. It appears to me that there is only one decision to make. Do we repair the hospital or remodel it?

The repair decision was made by the state. We are required to repair the sprinklers, electrical system and make our bathrooms Americans’ with Disabilities Act compliant. These repairs are supposed to be completed by the middle of May. I hope the state allows an extension.

It appears we are trying to make a new facility out of an old one. Do we really need a new facility? Do we really need a helicopter pad on the roof? If not, do we really need a new elevator to go to the helicopter pad? Do we need a new conference and break room? Do we need two more double occupancy rooms? I don’t believe the inspectors have told us the present hospital doesn’t have enough rooms. We are trying to make a new hospital out of an old one! Do we need a new hospital?

Rumor has it that we did not receive the $500 thousand grant that was expected. I’m thinking that if the board doesn’t give the communities more information and some input into what is really needed, they may have a repeat of the last election.

And now, the hospital board has decided to be the Life Care Center board of directors also. Who elected them to that board? How is this such a great deal? The Life Care Center was at risk of closing because it was losing money. Trust me, if this facility could be profitable, with little or no investment, the owners would not have given it away.

It would be making money for them, not putting a fiscal load on a hospital that is asking for $6.4 million in taxes. The hospital has been working on this deal for months and it was a huge secret that could not even wait one week to inform the communities involved. Does this sound like a great deal? It seems that the Davenport hospital closed their full care facility five or six years ago. Why is that? Did anyone call the Davenport hospital to see why that happened?

Do we want to lose our full care facility? No! Do we want our full care facility to pull our hospital down a rabbit hole? No! What is our top priority, the hospital or the Life Care Center? I don’t find these to be easy questions, but I’m very unhappy with the secret negotiations that allowed absolutely no input from the voting public. Make no mistake; this full care facility is now a part of our future hospital levy votes.

James Preston, Ritzville