Bothwell Regional Health Center trustees approve expansion proposal

As Bothwell Regional Health Center prepares to mark its 80th anniversary in 2010, the hospital unveiled plans Tuesday to help lead the community on a “Journey to a Healthier Tomorrow.”

The Bothwell Regional Health Center Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved a proposal to allow the hospital to borrow $18.3 million to begin a multi-phase expansion project.

Plans include the construction of a cancer and cardiovascular center on the east side of the health center and a medical office building on the west side of Bothwell Diagnostic Center-Winchester.

Bothwell Chief Financial Officer David Halsell said the health center negotiated a 20-year financing plan with Third National Bank in Sedalia at a fixed rate of 3.7 percent interest for the first five years, with adjustments coming at five-year increments for the remainder of the repayment period.

Bothwell Chief Executive Officer John Dawes said because of the low cost of financing, officials felt now was the best time to move forward with the expansion project.

Steve Biermann, chairman of the Bothwell Board of Trustees, said the expansion projects are designed to improve the local delivery of health care and help address some of the area’s most prevalent health issues.

“Cancer and cardiovascular diseases are the most common health issues that this region really faces,” Dawes said.

As the average age of the population in Pettis and Benton County increases, health issues also are on the rise. The hospital has seen a 23 percent increase in demand for cancer treatment in the past three years, while chemotherapy treatments have more than doubled since 2005.

Pettis and Benton County residents experience a 17 percent higher mortality rate due to heart disease compared to the rest of the nation, Dawes said. Bothwell officials expect the two counties to experience an 8 to 10 percent increase in these diseases in the next three to five years.

Bothwell marketing director Lisa Church said the new facilities will allow the health center to treat an increasing volume of patients in a more comfortable environment.

“A lot of it is expanding room for new volume and the quality of care through the improved environment,” Church said.

Chief Operating Officer Mark Hirshberg said the expansion of cardiology facilities also will centralize services onto one floor and equip the health center to provide the latest cardiology services.

The addition of the medical office building will be an integral component in recruiting new physicians and provide needed space for OB-Gyn associates, Dawes said. He expects the health center to recruit eight to 12 physicians within the next two years.

Dawes said recruiting physicians is a competitive process that all hospitals face, but the new equipment and extra space could help Bothwell remain competitive, resulting in greater local health care access.

The addition of the medical office also will allow patients on-site access to lab and diagnostics from the office building.

The Sedalia City Council, which must approve the proposal because Bothwell is a city-chartered hospital, is expected to take up the issue at its Monday meeting.

Hirshberg said the tentative construction plans call for bids to be distributed in February, with a contract expected to come in March. Officials hope to break ground on the cardiovascular and cancer center around mid-April, with the start of construction on the medical office following within the next month. Construction on both projects is expected to take between 15 and 18 months to complete.

In a separate proposal, the board approved about $1.1 million in renovations to the Women’s Health Unit in the hospital. The renovations include the addition of two labor-delivery-recovery rooms and refurbishing the postpartum facilities.

Dawes said in-house facilities staff will handle the majority of the work on the Women’s Health Unit, which is expected to begin around the start of 2010.