The new Quincy Valley Medical Center will be a two-story structure, replacing the single-level buildings that make up QVMC today.
Design work continues, and both staffers and hired experts are handling many regulatory requirements as Grant County Public Hospital District 2 prepares to replace the aging buildings on the QVMC campus.
The district board meeting of Feb. 27 included an extensive report on the project by consultant Joe Kunkel, president of The Healthcare Collaborative Group Inc.
The board selected a general contractor, Graham Construction, for the project Feb. 6.
“We went through a large amount of work with the selection committee, around 10 firms, down to four firms, down to one,” Kunkel said.
Kunkel said it was time to get project architects and engineers to meet city building officials, to keep each other informed.
The building team has settled on a two-story design, with in-patient rooms on the second floor. Artistic drawings of the exterior conceptual designs of the new building may be available in a month or two.
Initial cost estimates are coming in based on what has been designed so far.
“Because we added things from the original master facilities plan, square footage is greater than the original plan,” Kunkel said. “Square footage usually drives costs. So we are tying the square footage with the cost estimates we are getting … making sure we are staying within our budget.”
He said the city of Quincy will not require a conditional-use permit for the new facility. But the city wants a State Environmental Policy Act evaluation done. The medical center board during a special meeting on Feb. 6 approved expenses for the SEPA review, amounting to $6,750, and a traffic study, for $10,300.
Interior design work is focusing on the future cabinetry, with consultation with Newton Moats, QVMC’s general services director, and other staffers on the flow of supplies and storage needs.
Equipment planning has also begun.
Kunkel also introduced the topic of signage. The board approved about $10,000 to engage GSI Signs/APCO Northwest to start design work on interior and exterior signs.
Other matters before the board included a vote on the QVMC Quality Plan. Glenda Bishop, QVMC’s CEO, said the state Department of Health looks at the two-year plan, and the QVMC board members review it every year.
“I have gone through this. There are not significant changes to this,” Bishop said.
In reviewing the quality improvement work at QVMC, Bishop appreciated the role of board member Sherri Kooy, who serves on the quality committee. Kooy asks valuable questions during committee meetings, Bishop said.
“The value of having a nonclinical person at the QI meeting has been reinforced to me,” Bishop said, referring to quality improvement by its initials.
The board approved the quality plan for 2023 and 2024 and the monthly quality improvement report.
Keeping an eye on dollars, board member Anthony Gonzalez asked about the higher-than-usual figure of uncollected debt from patients listed in the consent agenda. Bishop said it was a catch-up figure, not a trend.
Board president Randy Zolman reported for the finance committee and said the numbers for the previous month looked good.
“Overall, we’re up again. All the numbers all the way across the board are looking really good for this year,” Zolman said. “We’ll hope for another good year. Staff’s doing a great job – love it.”
Gonzalez, reporting for the building and grounds committee, said a large, mature tree fell during a recent windstorm but did not land on any structure.
The windstorm did QVMC a favor, knocking over a tree that would have had to be removed to make way for the new medical center building. The conifer fell eastward, landing on lawn. If it had fallen southward, it probably would have crushed a chain-link fence.
The tree was one of as many as nine trees that might be in the way. Each tree could costs thousands of dollars to remove, so Moats is looking into creative ways to deal with the trees, including possibly allowing local residents to take away the wood.
Gonzalez suggested using some of the wood, if it is not deteriorated, to make a bench or table for the new facility as a sort of decorative legacy piece.
Bishop also spoke about another item of upgrades coming to QVMC – a new website. She said the discussion over the years about a website upgrade took a step forward with the hiring of Shannon Durfee as community relations and marketing director for QVMC some months ago. Durfee is working on elements of a rebranding campaign, including the website.
Board members discussed rebranding, expressing support for the initiative, and they voted in favor of an expense of $5,000 for a new website.