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Hospital board approves remodeling contract for new providers

Staff reporter

Remodeling done in a hurry comes at a price.

At least that's what Jeremy Armstrong, chief executive officer of St. Luke Hospital, has discovered.

During a special meeting Monday, the board of directors of Marion County Hospital Board #1 approved renovation plans to make the current Prairie View building sufficient for three health care providers.

Armstrong had contacted Murray Company for a cost estimate to remodel the 55-year-old building by the first part of September. The cost estimate was $171,000, which means it could be lower but probably will be somewhat higher. Armstrong said he was surprised that the costs were that high.

Of that $171,000, nearly 25 percent of it, approximately $40,000, will be paid to Murray Company for its services. Efforts will be made by Armstrong to try to negotiate Murray Company's share of the expense. The company also will provide on-site management to oversee the project. Local contractors will be used whenever possible on the project.

The completion date is set for Sept. 4, but Armstrong said anytime remodeling is completed in a building such as this and utilities are moved, there can be some delays.

Every effort was made to re-use the existing floor plan and fixtures as much as possible but a few walls will have to be moved and a few more installed, Armstrong said.

New carpet will be installed throughout the building and all walls will be repainted. A covered walk-way will allow patients to walk from the provider's building to the hospital.

Two providers have committed to coming to Marion — Dr. Linda Skiles, a general practitioner, and Nita Bittle, a physician's assistant. A third provider, a pediatrics specialist, is nearly onboard.

When two providers were retained, it was clear to the board and hospital administration that the only viable location for the medical professionals was in the Prairie View building.

Dr. Skiles will begin her practice July 9, and will be located in the outreach portion of the clinic where visiting doctors see patients until the other building is remodeled.

Each provider will have three exam rooms and an office. A nurse's station will be located on both ends of the facility with a procedures and lab rooms.

There will be 13 rooms with sinks, Armstrong said, and eight of those rooms currently do not have any plumbing.

There also will be a sick child's waiting room which will segregate ill children from those seeing medical professionals for a routine visit.

Chief financial officer Hilary Dolbee said money is available because of the timing. The hospital district recently received its portion of ad valorum taxes of $200,000 from the county, had $200,000 earned interest from a $1 million CD, and the hospital is in a sound cash position at this time.

Anticipated revenue from having three providers will reimburse the hospital coffers.

There also will be a reduction in emergency costs for the district because Dr. Skiles will assume some of those responsibilities under her contract. Currently the district pays Marion Family Physicians and independent doctors to cover.

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