Supporters of a proposed new $30 million hospital project north of Arkansas City are confident voters will approve a 10-year, one-half cent sales tax during Tuesday’s election.
"We’ve actually had a very positive response," Clayton Pappan, chief marketing officer for the South Central Kansas Regional Medical Center, said.
The location and land two miles north of Arkansas City offers the opportunities to expand in any direction and build a medical campus that will bring in additional medically related businesses, he said. A free-standing cancer center and dialysis center, medical supply companies, pharmacies and physician offices are possibilities.
"We won’t be land-locked," Pappan said. And, services could be offered that would prevent area residents from having to go to Wichita or Ponca City, he said.
The hospital is owned by the city and was built in the early 50s. A board of trustees appointed by the city commission oversees the operation.
Presently, there are 28 in-patient beds, three ICU beds and five OB beds. The new hospital will have 25 in-patient rooms in the beginning, and they will all be private rooms, along with six OB and four ICU beds.
The current facility has approximately 66,000 square feet. The new one will be about the same size – but the present one is three stories and the new one will be one story, according to Pappan.
"Every department is laid out in a more efficient manner and designed to reflect the changes in health care," he said.
There are eight local doctors on staff and several others available through a referral clinic on rotation. "We’ll be actively recruiting additional physicians once we’re underway with the construction project," Pappan said.
Trustees and hospital management have toured a one-year-old hospital in Weatherford, Okla. and copied much of the hospital’s design for Ark City’s new hospital.
"We all loved it. It has a very nice design<" Pappan said. "We did some minor modifications." The city owns the 168 acres of land involved. It was originally donated by Mr. and Mrs. Don Patterson. The extra two miles travel-time involved with the different location doesn't make a difference in the emergency care since paramedics always stabilize a patient before they can be transported to the hospital, according to Pappan. Eleven sites were considered. Several would have worked if the new hospital would only be designed and built for todays needs. But supporters are looking at a long-term plan to provide care 50 to 75 years in the future. The sales tax will fund only a portion of the project. Pappan said it will pay $7.5 million during a 10--year time frame. Part of the additional funds required will come from current cash and contributions from the hospital and the rest from a bond issue to be handled by a public building commission. The sales tax seems the fairest option since only people who live inside Ark City would pay a property tax. But the hospital doesn't just serve people who live in Ark City. The sales tax will affect everyone in the community whether they live in Cowley County or not. Call 620-441-5901 for more information about the replacement facility project.
