St. Helens Hospital Faces Voters on November 2

September 1, 2010 -- While state officials consider granting a certificate of need for a 12-bed community hospital in St. Helens, residents have secured enough signatures to place the issue on the Nov. 2 ballot.

 

“We don’t want this hospital to be built,” said Thelma Bonar who’s leading the initiative petition drive, which gathered close to 2,700 signatures in less than two weeks. ”They’re not building what they submitted to the voters in 2004. This hospital is going to be more like a clinic. It would be like ordering an eight-cylinder car and getting a six cylinder one. We’d like to see the district start all over again, and are willing to help them draft another initiative.”

 

The 2004 ballot measure called for a critical access hospital that would have been partially funded by the federal government, Bonar said. This time around the taxpayers in St. Helens will have to absorb all of the construction costs, which are estimated to reach $28.2 million.

 

That’s the bone of contention, admitted Bonar, who’s against paying more taxes for a new hospital. A clinic now run by Legacy Health in St. Helens meets the community’s needs, she said.

 

The Columbia Health District has been working since 2001 to build a small community hospital in St. Helens that would provide 24/7 emergency services and attract primary care providers, said Pam Powell, hospital project coordinator for the Columbia Health District.

 

“We’re confident that voters still support a hospital,” she said. “We’re expecting to hear on our certificate of need from the state in September and with a positive result we will carry out our education function up until the election.”

 

If the state denies its request, the health district intends to ask for an informal hearing or file an appeal, Powell said.

 

On Aug. 26, the Columbia Health District board voted unanimously to place this initiative on the November ballot. “We need to put faith in our community,” said Diane Hutson, board member. “If they want available healthcare and access to healthcare and emergency services, they will vote the right way and do the right thing.”

 

Earlier the board had talked about waiting until May 2011. But by having an earlier decision, the district doesn’t lose access to the Build America Bond Program which sunsets Dec. 31 and could save the project $5 million, said Jay Tappan, who chairs the Columbia Health District board and is the Columbia River Fire and Rescue Chief..

 

“Our real source of disappointment is in delaying the day that we can open the hospital and make a positive improvement in the health of district residents with a 24-hour emergency room, extended care hours and additional physicians returning to the community,” he said.

 

In 2004, voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure authorizing the board to build a community hospital, levying a tax for the construction costs.

 

In July 2008 the district applied for a certificate of need from state officials. Following a denial in October 2009, the district updated its financials and added a small rural health clinic to improve access to primary care and resubmitted its application.

 

A decision was expected in late August, however has been postponed until Sept. 20 because of unforeseen circumstances, said Christine Stone, spokesperson for the Department of Human Services.

 

The 24,000 square foot hospital would be located at 35311 Millard Road and managed by Legacy Health. It would open in late 2011 or early 2012. 

To find more information about the proposed hospital in St. Helens, click here