Allen County Hospital’s current facility has served the area’s growing needs for 58 years, truly connecting patients with quality care. In order for us to continue to offer high quality care and retain and attract expert physicians and staff, we need to construct a modern facility that is designed to meet the growing needs of an expanding 21st century patient population.
Some important reasons why we need a new hospital replacement facility:
— Outward appearance of our current facility is deceptive as the infrastructure of our existing building/facility plant is aged and cannot accommodate new wiring, additional wiring and duct work.
— The central patient waiting area is crowded and overflows on busy days.
— Exam and treatment rooms are too small for today’s technology. This includes operating rooms, radiology department, emergency department and lab. All are congested with cramped work space.
— Patient privacy is a challenge due to congestion, including in the emergency room.
— Patient departments are not located close to one another which make it inconvenient for patients and staff members.
— A new, updated facility would attract and retain quality providers and medical staff. It would demonstrate to potential industries that we are willing to do what it takes to improve our community.
Allen County commissioners thoroughly ex-plored both the option of building a new hospital and the option of retrofitting and/or remodeling the current facility to meet Medicare and state licensure standards and our ever-increasing needs. While the short-term cost of building a new hospital that could expand to meet Allen County’s future growth would be higher than retrofitting the current facility, the long-term cost of staying at the current facility would actually be more expensive. The replacement hospital will be designed to expand so that it’s appropriate not only for the current decade but also for the next 50 years and beyond. One other important factor that was considered was the feasibility of continuing operations while doing extensive construction/remodel at our current site. The construction would have taken several phases, causing continual disruption.
I urge you to vote yes on Nov. 2 for the future of our community and the future of our children and grandchildren.
Dennis Skahan
Iola, Kan.
