POMEROY - The Garfield County Hospital District commissioners are meeting this week to discuss problems with the hospital's electrical wiring.
The challenge the district faces is the facility, built in 1948, does not meet the current electrical code and the district is feeling pressure from state agencies to correct the problem, said Chief Executive Officer Andrew Craigie in a news release.
This past year, facility inspectors from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries cited the building for having two services installed over the past decade without the correct electrical permitting. To comply with the reinspection and permitting process, the district will have to submit plans to the state agency showing the hospital does not meet the current electrical power standards, he said.
"We have met all the electrical code requirements with the exception of two related to the installation of certain equipment that happened over the past few years," Craigie said. "It's pretty much impossible for us to comply with these standards. The fact is that this facility was built in 1948 and the current code will more than likely require us to rewire the entire facility. This is a major problem for the district in that the cost of such an electrical upgrade could cost upwards of $1 million, money the district does not have."
The commissioners will discuss the facility needs in a regular meeting at 6 p.m. today and continue the discussion at a retreat scheduled from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Thursday. Representatives from the districts' CPA firm and architecture company are expected to attend.
Due to the hospital's special Medicare designation as a critical access hospital, the commissioners have to carefully consider the potential impact on reimbursement that would result from any change in the use of the facility, Craigie said.
"It is a delicate balancing act" said Craigie. "We have to work very hard to make sure we are capturing every dollar so we can remain sustainable."
The district will report net excess revenue of just over $175,000 a year to date through February, and has set aside a small amount of reserves for capital repair and equipment replacement, he said.
"The fact is we still live pretty much month to month," Craigie said. "These projects will be a big bite for the district. We really need to consider very carefully where we go from here."
