Bond levy proceeds would fund new emergency department at hospital

The $6.5 million Weiser Memorial Hospital bond levy on the May 19 primary election ballot would fund the largest expansion of the facility in many years.
 Hospital officials and hospital district trustees created an ad hoc hospital bond committee and members have reached out to voters about the bond election and emergency department project. There have been no public meetings on the bond due to restrictions on gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic.
 The bond levy and the primary election will be conducted entirely by absentee ballot. All county residents must request an absentee ballot to participate in the election and vote on the hospital bond. Absentee ballots must be requested by May 19 and returned to the county clerk’s office by June. 2.
 Hospital officials have said the existing ER, which sees 5,000 patients annually, is in need of both modernization and expansion. The $6.5 million requested from taxpayers in the bond levy will go toward building a new emergency department. The hospital, through various sources, will commit $2.5 million to the project, which has a total price tag of $9 million.
 Two years ago, the hospital staff, board and administration began strategic planning for the future of the 25-bed critical care access hospital. The emergency department project received the highest priority after the lengthy review of needs.
 Hospital district trustees approved hiring an architectural firm in 2018 to do a complete facilities review and masterplan. Adding a wing onto the existing hospital became the most cost-effective choice. The firm was tasked with coming up with the most economical design that met the growing needs of the community.
 Hospital officials point out that the current coronavirus pandemic illustrates how essential it is for the community to have an emergency department with an updated and safe environment.
 The bond proceeds would build a larger, more efficient emergency department wing, adding reception and waiting room areas, private rooms, mental hold room, trauma room and other improvements.
 The ER wing also would allow the hospital to consolidate radiology services, including ultrasound, CT and X-ray that are currently located in different areas of the hospital, into one location for improved flow and efficiency. Having proximity to these services would assist with the ease and care of patients.
 When the new emergency department is up and running in the new wing, the emptied space will be remodeled to accommodate out-patient surgical and recovery areas, including multiple out-patient recovery bays. More surgeries are being performed as outpatient surgeries, hospital officials said.
 A new parking lot will be constructed on the south side of the hospital near the helipad. The new parking lot will provide extra parking spaces for patients and staff.
 An information sheet on the levy and hospital project details the finances of the $6.5 million bond, which would be paid back over 20 years with property taxes collected by the hospital district. The average taxpayer will pay an additional $57.51 annually for the project based on $100,000 property value after the homeowners exemption.
 The hospital is owned by the taxpayers and is independent of other hospitals in the valley. This allows for the exchange of medical resources with all hospitals and clinics in the valley. It also allows WMH to make decisions based on health needs of the local community, according to a hospital handout.