Healdsburg hospital ICU to reopen

Healdsburg and northern Sonoma County residents are being
promised a belated Christmas gift next month when the Healdsburg
District Hospital’s long-closed intensive care unit (ICU) is
promised to be reopened.
Even better, the new Wetzell Family Emergency Department is now
undergoing final Department of Health Services inspections and will
also open in early 2008.
“We’d love to have this as an early Christmas present for
Healdsburg,” said board chair E. J. Neil, “but we don’t want to
over promise or open too soon.”
Neil and other hospital officials reviewed the latest
construction, inspection and training updates at their regular
public meeting last week. The list of final safety and security
inspections is growing shorter by the day, staff reported.
“This is not a small victory, it’s a huge one,” said director
Kurt Hahn, congratulating Jan Kiely, chief of nursing operations,
facilities manager Gary Shilling and other administrators.
The hospital’s ICU was closed in 2001 shortly after converting
to community-ownership as a cost-saving measure. Low patient counts
made the specialized beds and added staffing needs too
expensive.
Recent years of increased patient enrollment, new services and
more than $8 million in financial support from the Wetzell family
and other members of the Healthcare Foundation of Northern Sonoma
County has allowed for the reopening of the ICU and other hospital
expansions.
Healdsburg’s new ICU will be part of a high-tech network using
robotics, a dedicated team of specialists and direction from Dr.
James Gude. Palm Drive, Willits, Mendocino Coast and other small
hospitals will be part of the innovative health program.
CEO Evan Rayner told the directors last week “we’re finally on
target” to open. He applauded the non-profit Foundation for its
“significant, positive response to funding requests and needs” for
the ICU project and other upcoming programs.
Chief of Staff Dr. Steve Vargas said the hospital’s physicians
and staff are “increasingly excited about the ICU and new emergency
department.”
Dr. Vargas said he was proud of the hospital’s continued high
quality of patient care during a “more tumultuous than general”
period of growth.
“There’s still more growing pains to come,” he said, “but
hopefully we will have some new physicians moving here …. We’ll
definitely have the work for them.”
Physician and medical specialist recruitment remains a key
component of a Business Plan launched by the hospital last year.
Increased living and business expenses and a changing and uncertain
health care industry in Sonoma County has led to retirements and
relocation by many doctors.
Overall, Healdsburg District Hospital has stabilized its
finances since emerging from bankruptcy in 2000, thanks in large
part to an annual parcel tax of $150 that adds $3.8 million to its
operating budget.
Rayner told the directors recent activity was a bit down at the
hospital but annual revenues and expenses were very close to
budget.
CFO Dan Hull said there were “no real surprises” in the
hospital’s recent finances.
After nine months, the hospital reported adjusted revenues of
$15.3 million against $16.6 in expenses. With the support of $2.8
million in parcel tax and another $3.3 million in capital
contributions, the hospital’s adjusted bottom line is in the
black.
Hull said all costs – especially payroll and visiting nurses –
must continue to be closely watched, adding there was little room
left to make too many more cost reductions.
Neil, Hahn and fellow directors Herb Polesky, Ruth Olson and
newcomer Bill Esselstein looked over a preliminary set of steps to
complete a major refinancing of the hospital’s $7 million in long
term debt.
A series of special meetings was set for the end of the year and
early 2008 to investigate a possible new issue of bonds, or
certificates of participation (COPs.)
Hull said the bond and refinance effort was a “work in progress”
that he encouraged putting on “a fast track.”