Swift County-Benson Hospital to expand

June 02--BENSON -- Although into its third consecutive year of losing money, the Swift County-Benson Hospital is planning a $28.3 million, two-phase construction project that includes building a new 75-unit senior living complex and remodeling the hospital.

The plan also includes a new partnership between the hospital and Affiliated Community Medical Centers-Benson Clinic to create a rural health clinic that will bring higher insurance reimbursements.

The expansion and operational changes are needed to better meet the community's current and future needs, enhance recruitment of physicians and give the hospital a needed financial turnaround, said Kurt Waldbillig, CEO of the Swift County-Benson Hospital.

Waldbillig presented the hospital's plans Tuesday during a special meeting of the Swift County Board of Commissioners.

The changes will be a "big diversification of our revenue source" that will better utilize staff and "meet the needs of the community," Waldbillig told the commissioners.

To complete the turnaround, he

said it's important for the community to use the services offered at the hospital and not go out of town for that care.

"The community has to want to choose to stay here. They need to choose to have their procedures done here," he said. "It can't all fall on providers."

Waldbillig said the hospital's past expansions -- including construction of a clinic and hospital addition in 2012, a new surgical center in 2007 and expansion of the therapy department and emergency room in 2003 -- positioned the hospital for growth.

But he said a "perfect storm" of circumstances in the last few years, including the retirement of longtime physicians, implementation of the Affordable Care Act and a decrease in insurance reimbursements, had a negative effect on hospital finances.

It's also been difficult for the hospital -- which currently has just one physician and three nurse practitioners -- to recruit doctors, said Waldbillig, who has been CEO at the hospital since last March.

A new physician is scheduled to start this fall, however, and the hospital is seeking another.

New construction

The plan for the senior living facility includes construction of 25 assisted living rooms on the main floor and 16 memory care units and 34 assisted living-plus units on the second floor.

Specifications for the $12.5 million project are nearly completed and construction is expected to begin this fall and be completed by next summer, Waldbillig said.

The new facility will be attached to the hospital, which will also take over operations of the existing Scofield senior living apartments.

The $5.8 million hospital renovation includes demolishing the existing 1970-era hospital that has 25 beds and replacing it with a new, eight-bed inpatient hospital that would be attached to the surgery center.

The hospital's current inpatient population is 2.5 per day, Waldbillig said, and with a trend toward fewer inpatient hospital stays, having up-to-date patient rooms would create more efficient care.

That project also includes a new main entrance, new emergency room, new ambulance entrance and an expanded therapy department.

Pending the outcome of a study to determine available parking, the hospital project could begin sometime next year.

Partnership with ACMC

Meanwhile, the hospital and ACMC made a joint announcement Wednesday that they will forge a partnership to become a federally certified rural health clinic.

The goal of that certification is to improve access to primary health care in rural, underserved communities and promote a collaborative model of health care delivery using a team approach with physicians and advanced practice providers, according to a news release.

Swift County is the only designated area in ACMC's current service area that is federally designated as a health professional shortage area for its lack of access to healthcare providers -- one of the qualifications for becoming a certified rural health clinic.

Waldbillig said one of the benefits of the designation is receiving higher insurance reimbursements.

Talks between the two organizations to create a provider-based rural health clinic began about nine months ago, Waldbillig said.

ACMC will continue to provide physicians and services at the clinic, and the overall operations will be overseen by a joint operating committee comprised of members from ACMC and the hospital.

They are currently in the process of finalizing a professional service agreement and management service agreement, and the combined operation is expected to be in place by Sept. 1.

When the transition is complete, the clinic will be known as the Swift County Benson Hospital and Clinics.

ACMC Administrator Steve Gerberding said in a news release the partnership isn't an effort to eliminate staff positions and employee transition plans are in the works, with some remaining under ACMC and others having options to be employed by the hospital.

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