This is the second of a series of questions and answers addressing the Nov. 2 vote on a new hospital for Allen County. Questions are answered by various members of the Allen County Healthcare Committee, a group of citizens who are working to get the issue passed, requiring a quarter-cent increase to the county sales tax.
Q. Why do we need a new hospital?
A. The current facility is near the end of its useful life. The original part of the complex is 58 years old and its systems have reached, and in most cases exceeded, their life expectancy. The structure is still solid, but is not suited to meet the requirements of a modern hospital facility because of low ceilings, inadequate structural dimensions and layout characteristics on three different levels.
The facility was designed during a time when hospitals were built primarily for in-patient care. Modern hospi-tals emphasize shorter stays and out-patient services.
The exisiting site is too small for proper expansion, too. So that while renovation is an option, experts tell us it would cost more to renovate the hospital than to replace it and that renovations would not cure all the limitations of the old structure.
If you agree with us and would like to help our voter information effort with your time or your money, we can use both. We expect it to take several hundred volunteers to get the word out with only seven weeks before the Nov. 2 election.
Volunteers can call the Thrive Allen County office at 365-8128 to sign up to help. Contributions may be mailed to “Yes Allen County Healthcare,” at A.C.B., Inc., 16 W. Jackson, Iola, KS 66749 or left at the Moran, Humboldt or Iola branches of Emprise Bank where we have our checking account.
Yes! Allen County Health Care
