The Mountain View Hospital board of directors announced its decision to pursue alternative building plans for facility expansion after receiving the most recent round of bids for the hospital project.
The rebid for the hospital renovation project returned figures substantially higher than projected. After considering the new bid prices, the condition of the local and national economy, as well as recent threats to Oregon Medicaid reimbursement, the board concluded that the current project costs were not affordable. The hospital’s funding application was based on a total construction cost of about $22 million. The general contractor was unable to meet that goal in thenecessary timeframe.
MVH will immediately begin to rescale the project to address the most urgent needs first. The most pressing areas include the operating room, the imaging department and additional clinical space for physicians.
“We must re-scope the project,” said Jeanie Gentry, CEO of MVH. “This starts with redesign work, then revised architectural drawings. Because of the amount of work to be done, we do not have a projection as to a ground-breaking date.”
Mountain View Hospital will search for other options beyond HUD funding to find affordable alternatives that can be available in a faster timeframe. The Board will work to address the most pressing concerns to ensure the facility remains an affordable health care resource for the area.
“Our immediate goal is to keep our hospital and our community healthy and strong for many years to come,” Gentry said, “the Board remains committed to making this project a reality just as quickly as possible.”
Info: Kelly Richard, Marketing & Communications Manager at 541-460-4039.
