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Hospital to submit tax levy for voter approval
in November election |
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August 15, 2016 |
Our local hospital will be going to the voters
in November’s election to request approval for a
two year tax levy to pay for updating and
upgrading the hospital and many of its services.
Representatives for Boundary Community Hospital
appeared before Boundary County Commissioners at
their regular meeting last Monday and gave a
presentation requesting that this November’s
ballot include the levy.
Hospital CEO Craig Johnson said the money is
needed for improvements in the hospital and its
services that cannot be funded any other way.
Many upgrades already completed using
the hospital’s own funding
Mr. Johnson pointed out that without going to
the voters, the hospital through its own
resources has already paid for many facilities
and services improvements, which in recent years
have included the purchase of a brand new,
current-technology CT scan machine, replacing
the nurse call intercom system that patients
use, upgrading the hospital elevator system,
upgrading anesthesia services, and remodeling
physician office space.
He also pointed out that the Fry Healthcare
Foundation, through its fundraising efforts
(such as the annual Festival of Trees), has been
able to purchase and donate important items to
the hospital, such as a new portable ultrasound
machine, new physical therapy equipment that was
needed, and a van used for patient transport,
among other things.
All of these and other improvements and
equipment have been done without going to voters
and without requests for additional tax money.
He pointed out that the last time the hospital
put forth a tax levy for voter approval was
eight years ago, back in 2008.
Why a tax levy?
So why does the hospital now need to approach
voters for a levy? Mr. Johnson told the
commissioners that the hospital is now facing
additional needs and required improvements, some
of which are required by federal regulations,
that simply are too expensive and cannot be paid
for from revenue generated by the hospital. Many
of the items on the hospital’s needs list will
improve services available to the community.
The hospital will be asking voters to fund
$414,000 a year for a two year period. At the
end of the two years, the levy ends, and the
temporary two year hospital taxation will be
ended.
How the hospital plans to use the money
What sorts of things will the hospital use these
tax dollars for? Mr. Johnson gave several
specifics:
• The hospital’s fire alarm panel needs to be
replaced. The current panel is failing, has
required multiple repairs, and is becoming a
safety code issue that requires attention. The
current panel is so dated that the last time
replacement parts were needed the maintenance
staff had to go to eBay to find the required
parts for repair. Mr. Johnson said the panel
needs to be replaced to meet safety code and to
keep the hospital safe.
• The HVAC control system needs to be replaced.
He pointed out that this involves more than just
improving the temperature environment within the
hospital. In addition, the portions of the HVAC
system that service the surgical and operating
room area of the hospital need to meet certain
requirements for filters and humidity. The
current system does not meet those regulatory
requirements, and need to be updated. Updating
the system will better control the climate for
hospital patients, lower long term costs for
HVAC operation, and meet the newest standards
for the surgical environment.
• Upgrading the surgical area of the hospital,
which will allow for expanding surgical services
available at our local hospital. This includes
plans to upgrade to new scopes used to visualize
stomach and intestinal issues for patients. The
hospital wishes to expand its orthopedic
surgical services, and is looking at acquiring
new joint arthroscopy equipment. With the new
planned equipment, new arthroscopy services can
be offered locally. Also on the list of surgical
requirements, Mr. Johnson stated that the X-ray
equipment used right in the operating room is
becoming obsolete and needs to be replaced with
a new system. Currently newer systems take
x-rays with less radiation and are more
efficient.
• The hospital’s X-ray department needs new
equipment that is used to inject the dye used
for certain CT scan studies.
• The hospital is looking also at new laboratory
equipment. This would include current-technology
equipment that provides faster and more accurate
analysis. The hospital is looking at new
equipment for blood test analysis, also
equipment used to help identify bacteria and
viruses that are causing a patient’s infection.
The equipment they are looking to purchase would
identify bacteria and viruses in 65 minutes,
versus the three day waiting period needed with
the equipment the lab has now.
Adding up all the costs of the proposed new
equipment and upgrades comes to the $828,000
grand total the hospital is requesting in the
two-year levy.
What will this cost you?
What will all this cost the individual taxpayer?
This would be a property tax, and under the
proposed levy property owners would pay an
additional $48 for every $100,000 of the county
assessor’s value of the property (not the market
value of the property).
So for a home that the county has assessed at
$100,000, the property owner would pay $48 each
year for the two years of the levy, a total of
$96 altogether for the two years. As mentioned,
at the end of the two year levy period, the tax
ends and is removed.
Mr. Johnson stressed that the hospital has the
goal of providing as many services as are
feasible for a small rural hospital of its size,
helping patients in our area to obtain needed
services right here in Boundary County, rather
than having to travel longer distances to
receive those services at distant hospitals,
putting a strain on patients and their families. |
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