Hospital district to move forward with future plans
Business at St. Luke Hospital could be better but after three years of independence from a management company, business really isn't too bad.
When the hospital district's fiscal year ends in September, administrator Jeremy Armstrong anticipates finishing well in the black.
"Our outpatient revenue is doing really well," he said.
Armstrong admits that the first year after Banner Health Systems discontinued its services with the hospital was a little shaky.
"If it weren't for donations, we would have had problems," Armstrong admitted.
During the past few years, the hospital board approved the upgrading of hospital equipment which is paying off.
"Since 2006 we've seen an increase of 30 percent or $1,200,000 in outpatient services revenue, partly because the equipment has been updated," he said.
So, how will a new hospital at Hillsboro affect the Marion County hospital district?
"We're not changing our long-range plans. We're still looking at making improvements to our facility to accommodate our patients," Armstrong said.
He knows a new hospital 10 miles away may affect some of the services at the Marion-based hospital but believes there is a need for a hospital to serve patients within the hospital district.
"We're staying the course."
