Pinckneyville Authorizes $65,000 for CON Consultant
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Pinckneyville Community Hospital Board of Directors authorized Administrator Tom Hudgins to spend up to $65,000 to have Prism Consulting complete an alteration of permit for the certificate of need for a new hospital.
The original certificate of need, which expires in October, is for a $46 million facility. Over the past few months, the plans have been revised and the cost dropped to just over $25 million. The Health Facilities Planning Board must approve the changes before a new hospital can be built.
The altered permit must be filed by June 13 to be considered at the Sept. 11 board meeting.
Financing for the new hospital is not yet finalized. Hudgins reported that the pre-application for a loan from USDA Rural Development was delivered last March 26. Rural Development can take up to 45 days to decide whether or not to invite PCH to file a complete application.
Because the loan is for more than $10 million, the invitation will have to come from Washington, D.C.
Should Rural Development turn down the hospital, Hudgins will immediately stop Prism. The hospital would only have to pay for work done up to that point. A cost break-down, provided by Prism showed the work in three phases- through the pre-application process at Rural Development, through the full application process and the public hearing and presentation process. The first would cost $45,600, the second $10,000 and the final phase $9,400.
Board President John Shotton expressed concern that public opinion could sway USDA to deny the loan application.
Housing and Urban Development declined to loan PCH the funds to build the originally planned $46 million hospital after reviewing a pre-application and inviting the full loan application.
Shotton said he believes letters from those opposed to a new facility played a large part in HUD's decision. A form letter opposing the project was circulated. It was signed by individuals then sent to HUD.
His desire is to educate the public on the need for a new hospital and ask supporters to send letters to Rural Development stating they are in favor of a new facility.
"Renovating the current facility will mean slow death for the hospital," Shotton said. He explained that reducing services during renovation would cut off necessary revenue sources.
Human Resources Director Christie Gajewski and CFO Kara Carson said department managers are working on a letter of support and will make it available to employees who would like to send it in.
Gajewski was also asked to look into a Facebook page with links to a letter for the public.
The final suggestion was to have employees speak to civic groups about the need for a new hospital.
"While we were talking, I wrote down several recent expansion projects in Pinckneyville," said Board Member Bonnie Tolbert. "They all revolve around tourism and drawing people to town. We need to explain that those better not get sick because without a new hospital there won't be a hospital or emergency room."