Generations

A: We have 3 options

1. Do nothing (we get closed down drastically, or gradually scale back services until we are no longer financially viable).

2. Renovate (see why renovation is not an option)

3. Build New Hospital 

A: The estimated cost to “renovate” our current facility would cost approximately 2x the cost of the new facility with the same space restraints we face now, in fact lead to reducing services, and still leave us with a facility that does not meet the needs of our community. 

The current facility does not allow us to do the things we need to do within our current scope of services. A perfect example of a current facility restriction is our Orthopedics program. We have successfully performed nearly twenty total knee replacement surgeries. Patients who are in need of a total hip replacement want to have that surgery completed at Lincoln Health. Our surgeon is capable, our staff is capable, however, our single operating room, is too small. Those surgeries must be sent elsewhere with appropriate operating facilities. 

1. The size & location of the current operating room restricts us from expanding our surgical capabilities. 
2. To evolve our long-term care services and be reimbursed fairly, we need a new building. 
3. Our current building does not meet compliance to offer OB services. 

A: Yes- as listed above, with a new facility we will be able to: 

• Expand our surgical capabilities 
• Expand outpatient procedures 
• Offer OB 

A: We are exploring the possibility of OB services. Our community has expressed the desire and there is a real need in our region as there is not a facility offering OB within 100 miles of our hospital. This service is complex and requires volume of births both to pay for costs associated with providing the service but also in keeping staff trained and ready. 

We will still provide long-term care services in the same way that we do now to residents of the care center but the structure will be different. There are 10 designated beds for long-term care, which you will often hear referred to as “Swing Beds” 

A: No. There is a complex discussion here around cost-based reimbursement and how it works with insurance companies, but in short, this new facility will not cost you one extra penny. We will be paid more for the services rendered by government payers, not the patient themselves. Newer facilities in our region are reimbursed MORE from government payers for the same services. Our current hospital was built over sixty years ago, and we are, in fact, paying a bit of a government tax for NOT updating our facilities. That’s wrong, and we will not settle for a sub-par facility for our patients.  

A: Our current building is apx. 45,000 sq. ft. and doesn’t meet regulations for hospitals which set requirements for the size of all useful spaces within our building, such as private patient rooms, ADA restrooms, working showers in each room (which we do not have now) OR size and location for infection control. The new facility is currently projected to be apx. 100,000 sq. ft. just to bring us in compliance with current regulations.  

A: We are working with a design team and have conducted site visits of similar sized hospitals across the state. The internal layout has been mapped and as construction costs fluctuate, we continue working on a design that is cost effective but makes sense for generations to come.

$77 million 

A:  

• $50 million debt capacity as determined through our lender USDA 
• $15 million Federal Grants 
• $7 million State & Local Government Support 

• $5 million Private Philanthropy 

A: The building will have to be demolished  

A: No- we will not ask for a tax increase, but we need all the community support we can get. This may be in the form of a financial contribution, testimonials of patient stories, or help fundraising. This is your hospital and we want our community involved.  

A:  

• Funding of this magnitude is multi-faceted. Working with the USDA to secure funding has proven to be time consuming but we continue to respond to the lenders request for information. 
• Once funding is secured, we anticipate a 12-month construction period.  
• Today is the least expensive day to start building 

• In building a new facility- we are building a hospital for 60-80 years into the future, a generational facility