Winnemucca News

Winnemucca News

Administrator working to dispel misinformation about HGH expansion - 07-26-2010

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WINNEMUCCA — The man behind the largest public works project in the recent history of Humboldt County – Humboldt General Hospital’s expansion -- is working hard to give that project a public relations shot-in-the-arm.

HGH Administrator Jim Parrish is planning to give his “why we’re doing what we’re doing” presentation to up to thirty community groups.  

On Thursday (July 22) he was at Rehab Services of Nevada, where it appeared he accomplished the goal of getting at least one group of folks excited about the project in particular and the direction of health care planning in Humboldt County in general.

SPJ asked Parrish why he was going to all that effort when the $9.5 million expansion project has already been approved and the hospital already has the money to pay cash upon completion of construction.

Parrish said, “It’s important to do away with the negativity, questions, and misinformation regarding the project. We want to get people on-board and excited about the project.”

Parrish developed his presentation based on recurring questions and incorrect ideas he said were circulating in the community about the project.  

Comparing the misinformation to the old unsupported rumor about alligators in the New York sewer (supposedly people bought baby alligators at pet shops then flushed them down toilets to the sewers where they lived and grew…) he said his goal was to dispel the “urban legends.”

Parrish covered topics from project financing and the condition of the existing hospital, to why the project adds no new patient rooms. Addressing fears about financing the project, whether there’ll be enough money for phases two and three, and whether taxes would go up to pay for it -- Parrish said the first step in this project was to pay off all existing debt – for the first time in Humboldt General’s history.

That will require only $1.6 million, a mere pittance compared to the debt carried by most hospitals, according to Parrish, who added that there will still be enough cash on hand (with NO new taxes) to pay, in full, for this and future construction projects.  

What’s more, with the money generated each year by existing taxes and charges for hospital services, Parrish said HGH’s current $29 million in the bank will be depleted by only $2 million even after all the projects are paid for in cash.

“We could let the money sit in the bank,” Parrish said, “or we could give some of it back to residents, but we believe investing in the future of health care in Humboldt County is the best decision.”

Other “myths” dispelled by Parrish included:

• It seems this project came together very fast – nope, the expansion has been in the hospital’s planning documents since 1998.
• All the new space is for Administration – nope, just 2.5% of available space is so designated, about average for comparable hospitals.
• The core of the hospital isn’t in good shape – not true, said Parrish, the average age of the existing facility is 7.8 years, and while there are always maintenance issues, the hospital is in good condition.
• The expansion doesn’t increase patient beds. – True, but that’s not where the need is, according to Parrish. HGH currently has 16 adult acute care beds – average daily patients – 3.5. HGH needs to stay under 25 beds to retain Critical Access Hospital designation which is worth a $1.5 million a year stipend from the federal government.
• Prices at HGH are already sky-high. – According to The State Data Base from the Dept. of Health, they’re about average for Nevada hospitals.
• We don’t have enough doctors to fill the planned offices. – True, but having offices ready is the recruitment tool essential to bringing doctors to Humboldt County.
• We’ll end up with a big empty building. – Every bit of space will be needed and has been carefully planned for, according to Parrish – who added that one of the most exciting planned uses is for a walk-in clinic.
• We’re not growing, we don’t need an expansion. Not so, says Parrish, who showed growth statistics for HGH in revenue, patient days, emergency room visits, surgeries, outpatient visits, lab tests, ambulance runs, and births. He attributed a decrease in radiology use to poor prior record keeping.

In answer to an audience question about when the project will begin construction, Parrish quipped, “We have a portable office, a portable toilet, and I think they’ve dropped off a tractor – we’re going great guns now!”

The contract gives the construction company, R&O Construction, 441 days to complete the project. In addition to a shiny new addition, Parrish said their goal is to build a firm foundation of community support.

Written by Joyce Sheen - Silver Pinyon Journal - 7/23/10

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