Cook County News Herald

Hospital board gives administrator go-ahead to seek architectural firm for renovations




Hospital board members listened to a dizzy array of numbers and ever changing regulations pertaining to the services offered and operating costs needed to run the Cook County North Shore Hospital and Care Center (CCNSCC) at the January 17 board meeting. At the end of the meeting the board passed a resolution to move ahead to seek information on the best ways to re-design the hospital and care center to maximize efficiencies in staff and to potentially provide more services that could generate more revenue.

Part of the motion put forward by Hospital Board Member Howard Abrahamson guarantees that all of the current services will remain unchanged as they proceed with plans to seek an architectural firm and ways to fund the project.

Before voting, the board listened to a two-hour presentation by Kimber Wraalstad, hospital administrator, who gave them a financial review of the North Shore Care Center, the hospital, home health and the ambulance services that stretched back to 2006. Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, noted Wraalstad, isn’t part of the equation.

“A lot of people think the clinic is part of the hospital because it is connected to the building, but it’s not,” Wraalstad told the board.

In 2011 the hospital generated revenue totaling $1,863,294. This was offset by losses of $127,827 from the ambulance service, a loss of $224,787 by home health care, and a loss of $1,405,106 from the care center resulting in net revenue of $105,574.

While a complete financial audit isn’t finished for 2012, Wraalstad noted that the care center’s losses were $937,000 for 2012, far better then the $1,405,106 loss the care center suffered in 2011.

Wraalstad asked the board if it wanted to continue running the 37-bed care center despite its losing money. All of the board members, Tom Spence, Kay Olson, Justin Mueller and Abrahamson said they strongly supported continuing operation of the care center.

“I’ve heard unbelievable support for the care center,” said Spence.

Wraalstad agreed, “I haven’t heard anyone in the community say they don’t want the care center. No one wants it closed.”

Going forward, Wraalstad said the hospital needs to change from a maze of three hallways to a more efficient, user/ worker friendly space. She said there should be one main nurses station and if one is designed right, it would give more flexibility to having workers transfer back and fourth between the hospital or care center as needed.

Other items mentioned were upgrades and redesigns of computer stations and redesigns of some of the departments that should allow more services to be offered and the potential for better service and more revenue for the hospital, Wraalstad said.

The board will now look at proposals from several architectural firms that will be sought by Wraalstad in the coming months.

Spence and Abrahamson said the community will be involved as the process moves forward, maybe by having meetings in the Arrowhead Center for the Arts with the public or in some other forum or combination of media that will distribute information to the public and seek input.



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