VMH hosting meetings in Allamakee County to discuss proposed City to County conversion
Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) staff and board members continue to visit each Allamakee County community to present and discuss the need to convert from a city-owned hospital to a county-owned hospital. These sessions last less than an hour and will answer questions anyone may have about the proposed conversion of VMH from a city-owned to a county-owned hospital.
The schedule for the remaining county meetings, by date, is as follows:
• Waukon - Tuesday, October 25 at 6 p.m. in the Freedom Bank Community Room
• Postville - Tuesday, November 1 at 6 p.m. in the NEIA Wellness Center Meeting Room.
Anyone is welcome to attend these presentations and question and answer sessions will follow each one. Questions such as the following will be covered at these informational meetings:
QUESTION: What will the conversion cost taxpayers?
ANSWER: A minimal tax increase has been proposed to support approximately $950,00 in annual appropriations for VMH. For example, a resident with a home valued at $144,000 would be taxed just $157/year to help ensure the sustainability of healthcare for Allamakee County. Anyone can take their Net Taxable Value and multiply it by 0.00109 to find the approximate tax increase on their property.
QUESTION: What, specifically, are your plans for the money?
ANSWER: Funds are earmarked for critical capital investments that may include:
• Operating Room (OR) updates and expansion: Currently, VMH has just one OR that is shared by orthopedic, ophthalmology, podiatry, OB and general surgeons, which makes OR availability very limited. The time it takes to clean the OR between each patient further limits availability. As VMH continues to recruit new specialists, an additional surgery suite will be needed to accommodate growing patient volume.
• Emergency Room (ER) updates and expansion: With just two main ER rooms to service a growing number of patients, VMH’s Emergency Department is often full. It will be critical to expand the ER to ensure everyone has access to emergency services when they need them.
• Infrastructure updates/renovations: The current facility is 70 years old, and it has been more than 20 years since any major renovations were made. VMH will need to make major updates in the near future, including replacing the roof and boiler, updating the HVAC and electrical systems, and purchasing a new emergency generator.
• Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system: Upgrading to a user-friendly system will allow patient records to be electronically transferred quickly and easily, not only between different providers and departments, but also between different healthcare facilities. This will help save time, improve accuracy and provide a better patient experience.
QUESTION: Is it common for hospitals to be owned by the county and supported by tax payers?
ANSWER: It’s very common. In fact, county-owned hospitals in Iowa receive, on average, $1.75 million in tax support each year. It’s also important to know that the partnership between the County and VMH will continue to grow beyond the related services already in place. Examples include transferring of behavioral health patients and providing a county examiner and Allamakee County Public Health Services, which are already part of VMH.
QUESTION: How can the hospital be held accountable for the funds raised?
ANSWER: VMH will continue to be your hospital. Just as in the past, every decision will be made in the best interests of our patients and the communities we serve. To ensure this:
• VMH will produce an annual Report to the Community, documenting the hospital’s activities and finances for the prior year.
• Annual community forums will be held to provide an open exchange of information and to gain valuable input from Allamakee County residents.
• A Community Ambassador group will be formed with members from throughout the county. This group will be the voice of the community, guiding VMH in its mission to provide an exceptional healthcare experience with compassion.
Detailed information and hand-out materials on the need for this city to county conversion will be shared at these community meetings and on the hospital’s website at www.veteransmemorialhospital.com/voteyes/. Anyone is welcome to attend these presentations.
A Facebook Live event which was aired Friday, September 16 is also available for review by going to the Veterans Memorial Hospital Facebook page.
For more information about the need for the city to county conversion, call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
