Gilpin family aids hospital

Ken and Jim Gilpin were on hand Tuesday night to give a gift of $100,000 from the estate of their parents, Howard and Helen Gilpin, to the new Allen County Regional Hospital. The boardroom at the new hospital will be named in honor of the Gilpin family. Joan Gilpin Webb, Lawrence, was unable to join her brothers in the presentation.
The gift will help purchase new equipment at the hospital.
News of the May 31 closing of the Via Christi Medical Associates clinic on South Washington may provide an opportunity for the hospital, said Ron Baker, chief executive officer of the hospital told trustees.
Baker said he and Via Christi officials are in the initial stages of discussions as to whether the hospital would absorb Via Christi staff and possibly some of the equipment at the clinic at 401 S. Washington Ave.
Baker said the clinic’s medical staff possibly could be the anchor tenants of a hoped-for medical office building on the grounds of the new hospital.
If the negotiations look favorable, Via Christi said it would keep the South Washington office open until June 22, giving both parties more time to work things out.
Trustees further narrowed their decision for a logo and signature outdoor signage. Representatives of Reactor Designs and Star Designs, both of Kansas City, worked with trustees on various options.
Bruce Jones, architect with Health Facilities Group, said millwork has begun in the operating room, surgery and support areas. Drywall is going up in the medical surgical areas, as is applying primer and installing tile. The main lobby, physical therapy and occupation therapy areas are also receiving drywall, Bruce said.
“There are different stages of completion going on all over the building,” he said. “There’s a lot going on.”
On the outside, sidewalks have been started as well as the final grading of topsoil. Exterior lighting should begin by next week.
 “In the next three to four weeks the site will really start to take shape, along with some landscaping,” said Tim Moore, project engineer for Murray Company.

UPON THE recommendation of Baker, trustees approved the hiring of Darrell Phillips, Inc., Manhattan, to provide health insurance and retirement planning services for hospital employees. Baker has a working history with DPI, saying it managed the benefit plans of Alliance Hospitals, a network of more than 20 hospitals with which Baker has been associated.
In an effort to contract work with local vendors as much as possible, Baker said he and his administrative staff would seek local bids for as many services as possible, but would use DPI as its primary broker.
“We’d be willing to even pay more with local businesses if good options exist,” he said.
Hospital administrators reviewed the benefit packages of three vendors. In addition to DPI, they consider Conrade Insurance Group, Newton, and Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance, Kansas City.
“We felt any of the three would be good,” Baker said. “Between the three, they cover the whole state.”
Trustees followed Baker’s recommendation to hire Conrade to provide insurance that will include hospital property, workman’s compensation, professional liability, internet security and cyber liability, and other areas specific to a hospital, which, Baker said, “is a different kind of beast altogether,” as an industry. Insurance plans for workman’s compensation, for example, is extremely expensive on the open market because of the inherently high risk of working around sharp instruments and having to lift heavy weight, i.e., people.
“The only place worse is a nursing home,” Baker said of the high rate of injury on the job.
Baker said the Kansas Hospital Association offers workman’s comp plans and in comparison to what a local insurance agent can offer would be about $60,000 less expensive in annual premiums.

IN HER ROLE as chief nursing officer, Patti McGuffin is taking trustees along a steep learning curve on hospital practices.
Her gift to trustees Tuesday night was a computer file on emergency practices.
Trustees approved payment of $1,097,031 to Murray Construction, which included purchasing kitchen equipment, concrete paving, studs, drywall, plumbing, HVAC and electrical equipment.
The board next meets April 23. All meetings are open to the public.