I-70 Medical Center, in Sweet Springs, will soon be under new ownership.

The hospital board met Thursday and voted to approve the sale to Hospital Management Consulting/Critical Access Hospitals.

“The primary reason is that the hospital needed an influx of cash to grow our services. The sale will enable us to do that.” Ron Baker, CEO said.

The hospital opened in November 2005 as a 15-bed general acute care facility.

The hospital is designated by Medicare as a critical access hospital.

A CAH must be located in a rural area, must be more than a 35-mile drive from any other hospital and cannot have any more than 25 inpatient beds. The annual average length of stay is 96 hours per patient. The hospital must comply with all CAH conditions of participation including 24-hour emergency care seven days a week.

The new ownership will increase specialty clinics and expand surgical services, Baker said.

“Within a couple of months we hope to be breaking ground on the building of a new clinic.”

The hospital is hoping to open clinics in Concordia and Alma. Plans also include a new large addition to the hospital for the Sweet Springs I-70 Family Clinic.

The board looked at several aspects in its decision including, capital needs, local ownership, community based service, community based clinics, community support and foundation contributions.

“We have received mixed reviews in the community,” Baker said.

Baker said the sale should be complete in 30 days