Allen County Regional Hospital patients, or at least their insurance carriers, will spend slightly more for their services.
The hospital trustees approved Tuesday a 3 percent rate increase for hospital room services, part of their budget planning for 2017.
Larry Peterson, chief financial officer, gave trustees their initial look at the hospital’s proposed spending plan.
The spending plan anticipated a “tough” revenue forecast, an industry-wide phenomenon, Peterson said.
The budget will be approved December, although trustees were unanimous in following chief executive officer Tony Thompson’s recommendation for the rate increase, because insurance companies needed to be notified promptly of any changes.
In a related matter, the December meeting has been moved up a week, from Dec. 27 to Dec. 20, because of Christmas.
TRUSTEE Patti Boyd said plans are slowly coming into focus for a proposed medical office building near the hospital.
She, Thompson and others have gathered for recent brainstorming sessions to determine the size and scope, as well as funding sources.
Boyd anticipated such a facility, to replace the one at the intersection of Madison and Second streets, near the old hospital site, would cost around $2 million to $2.5 million.
The challenge, she noted, would be to determine funding avenues, through either public or private sources.
TRUSTEES approved a resolution to rename the hospital’s surgical lounge in honor of Iolans Tom and Margo Williams, as a token of gratitude for a financial donation from the Williamses.
The lounge will be known as the “Blessed Are The Hands That Heal, Thomas and Margo Williams Family” Room.
