Laying it all out

While discussion of projected numbers took up the majority of the public meeting with the Platte Valley Healthcare Project (PVHP) committee on Aug. 14, the group also presented conceptual drawings and a possible location for the proposed critical access hospital. In June, Valley residents were presented with five possible locations for the critical access hospital (see “Sites and sounds at healthcare meeting” on page 11 of the June 19 Saratoga Sun) that included the Saratoga Inn Overlook, Kathy Glode Park and the Whistle Pig.

It was the latter property, between the Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District and the Whistle Pig, that was used for the drawings.

“We have kind of honed in on site 1A, which would be … in between the Forest Service building and the Whistle Pig. Some of the things that we found very attractive about it; it has direct access to the highway, we’re not routing ambulances, extra traffic, through residential zones, there is no slow-down for the ambulances coming from the south end of the Valley, so that’s really nice. We’re still within close proximity to the airport and it is kind of an undeveloped area,” said PVHP Acting Chairman Will Faust. “So, we’re not putting a hospital in anybody’s back yard except for those staying at the Forest Service fire bunkhouses.”

One of the first things noted by Health Management Services (HMS) President Karl Rude was the position of the 21 rooms that would be used for long-term patients.

“The way we have oriented this gives the southern and eastern facing view to the residents off of the dining room area to give them the view of the mountains the best, those that are permanently living in the facility,” said Rude.

Giving a “walking tour” of the facility, the highlights of the building were that it would be approximately 43,000 square feet on a single level with 4 acute care beds and 21 extended care beds.

“It also took a lot of careful consideration into what the customer flow experience is going to be as they come in for different types of services, making the layout as convenient to those that would have disability as possible,” Rude said. “We have no stairs designed into our building, we have no need for elevators into (sic) our building and, because it’s brand new, it meets all codes for ADA and accessibility, so this is a facility that is very, very friendly to the aging environment as the regulations require today.”

As Faust “walked” the audience through the building, both he and Rude pointed out the services that would be provided by the critical access hospital. These included a six room clinic, a therapy suite that would offer speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy, laboratory, imaging services and an emergency room with two trauma bays, an observation room and five hospital rooms; including one with both negative and positive air pressure for isolation purposes.

The central nurses station is planned to be placed near the two wings of the facility that will house the long-term residents. Rude said in conversation with other facilities HMS manages, he was informed by administrators that they would be more comfortable with a nurses station closer to the elder care portion of the building.

It should be noted that, while this property was used for the drawings and PVHP commented on the benefits of the property, it was never explicitly stated in the meeting that the property had been acquired by the committee. Faust informed the Saratoga Sun on Monday that negotiations were ongoing with the property owners.