Signal: You’ve agreed to share your impressions of Janssen’s comments in last week’s paper, so let’s turn to some of what he said in order to get your reaction. At one point Janssen said he’s concerned that “the hospital just keeps looking at the same model they had before the storm” and that it “needs to be thinking outside the box a little bit more.” In what ways would you disagree with that observation? In other words, how will KCMH be different from what people here knew before May 4, 2007?
George: There will be some physical differences, such as the clinic and hospital being under the same roof. The ER will be different and rooms will be situated for better access by staff and so forth, but there will be little that’s different in terms of management. We’ve had some hiccups with centralized billing, but we’re working on that and Great Plains (Health Alliance) is working hard to take care of that and to help us serve the community as a critical access hospital.
Signal: Janssen stated he’d like to see Greensburg emerge with a community health care facility similar to what Showalter Villa in Hesston offers for retirement aged people, such as apartments for the self-sufficient, with assisted living facilities for those less so, and a skilled nursing unit for those even less well off. Do you agree that’s a worthwhile goal?
George: I agree that it’s a worthwhile goal, and that’s the reason we’ve done some consultation with Carriage House (assisted living center in Greensburg), so we can facilitate that in the community. As far as owning and operating apartments, I don’t know if that’s something we’ll ever be able to do, but it’s not something outside the scope of our aims. It’s our goal to offer a broad range of services like that. Something like a swing bed unit (available at one time in the past in the old hospital) is something we’ll not have at this time (in the new hospital). We’re talking with Carriage House to see if they can facilitate that kind of care. Because of administration or regulatory situations a skilled nursing unit just isn’t possible. But we’re talking with Carriage House about the possibility of them offering something like that. I’ve talked with Steve (Dawson, administrator of Carriage House) myself and they want to do everything they can but their administration and staffing right now is limited in how far they can go. They have committed to respite care so that’s a step in that direction. I’m sure with some cooperation we can figure things out, even if it means turning to another facility outside the county for that.
Signal: Janssen also refers to the KCMH Board having been unenthusiastic about offers from Wichita medical groups Galachia and Via Christi to be a part of the rebuilding of the hospital, despite the advantages of joining forces with such entities. What didn’t he get right on that matter?
George: The KCMH Board did meet with Galachia early this past year and they came to Greensburg and sat down with us. They wanted to know what we were doing. I think they were surprised at the level of comeback we were already at. I mean we started providing critical care to the community on May 21, 2007. They were of the understanding we weren’t going to have a hospital and they were going to come in and build a private hospital and put the bill on the county. They were going to have the taxpayers foot at least part of the bill. They backed off and left when they found out we were going to rebuild. At first we were excited at the prospect of working with them, thinking they’d cooperate with us. But at first they were thinking of just building an aid station and then see if we needed a hospital later. As for Via Christi, in a phone conversation they never had any desire to come here and build or help build a hospital. I never got that from them at all. We’d been working in a cooperative manner in transferring patients to them, and that relationship will still exist and we’ll continue to foster it. The Hays hospital will be our oversight hospital.
Signal: In his comments Janssen also posed the question of justifying “a $15 million hospital when you average a client load of two people a day.” What’s your response?
George: First of all, the $15 million figure is incorrect. The actual figure is more than that, but I don’t know that as a board member I’m authorized to say what it is. But I can say we’re committed to building LEED Platinum, state of the art building that will be so much better than what we had before in terms of facilities. And we’re not raising our mill levy request. We’ve been reducing that the last ten years and we’re not going to sell bonds. We’re using tax credits, donations, FEMA money; we’re close to having the total bill funded at this point with no burden on taxpayers as a result other than supporting operating costs and they will be different than before and I hope it won’t be much more. But we’re doing everything we can to build this with no extra tax burden on the community at all.
Signal: What would you like to add to bring the public up to speed on the progress of the Board’s current plans to rebuild?
George: I want to make sure we give credit where credit is due. Great Plains Health Alliance has never once backed away from us, or our aim to provide health care for the community. They were here on the ground the day after the tornado to help us get up and going again. Their expertise is at our disposal at any time. We want to do the very best we can to provide heath care to the community. There may be some limitations at first at what we can do. But Great Plains, Galachia and Via Christi will help us get any specialty care here we may need, like a heart specialist here once a month for instance. There are a number of rooms designated as satellite rooms for specialists that would be coming in to see people.
Signal: Regardless of how inaccurate Janssen’s comments might have been regarding the particulars of KCMH’s rebuilding plans, he seems throughout his interview to be pushing for a consolidation of resources in the community’s recovery, pointing to the cooperation between USD 422 and the Twilight Theatre as a “prime example.” Do you agree with that principle in terms of cutting funding gaps and making better use of available funds/resources?
George: I agree with it wholeheartedly. Another way we’re doing that is through the Ministerial Alliance reaching out to help Fleener Funeral Home rebuild. He’s (J Wynn Fleener) struggling to get back up in a building and we’re working on a cooperative agreement with him so that he won’t need to build a chapel. He can use the sanctuary of local churches as his chapel. I don’t know who came up with the idea at first but it’s already been embraced by two or three community churches.
Signal: Including First Baptist?
George: Yes, so our sanctuary can be used at any time for a funeral.
Signal: Your church will be completed about when?
George: Should be February 15. Anyway, this agreement is a good parallel to the hospital and Carriage House working out an understanding. We’re not down to all the nitty-gritty on that, but we’re working toward it and we’ve got a collaboration going on with Iroquois (Center for Human Development) in regard to them providing mental health services in conjunction with us (hospital). We’ve had discussions with them in terms of a possible cooperative agreement. So the county commission, Great Plains, our Board, we’re all on the same sheet of music as to where we’re going on the hospital. We’re just waiting on a closing date on the land to have a groundbreaking date. But I’d like for as many people as possible to come to these open meetings to keep up on what’s happening.
Signal: What kind of date for a groundbreaking do you expect?
George: I’m looking for September. I just want to say, also, that BTI has been exceptionally cooperative on getting their former property signed over to us (for the location of the new hospital).
Signal: What’s your reaction to Janssen’s idea of incorporating the Kiowa County Historical Museum into the Big Well Visitor Center, as well as combining the Big Well and City Hall?
George: I don’t know if I’m informed enough about that to comment. I just don’t know if I know enough about that to say what they should do. I do think we have an obligation to unite ourselves as much as we can and if that means putting things under one roof we ought to explore that.
Signal: Janssen gave his interview expecting reaction and feedback such as you’re supplying, saying it’s healthy to get people in the community involved in and aware of the various options in rebuilding. Do you agree that’s a worthy aim?
George: I absolutely disagree with the method. There’s enough people out there already that are questioning the ability of any group to get done what they’ve been voted in to do. Any statement that can breed negativity will do it quickly. There were some statements that John gave that can fuel the fire of speculating as to whether the hospital board can do what it needs to. The person being interviewed has a responsibility to get the facts straight before (speaking inaccurately). A letter to the editor is one thing, but an interview is another.
Greensburg, KS —
