By Kirk Johannesen, The Republic
johannesen@therepublic.com
Columbus Regional Hospital hopes to re-establish its emergency department sooner than the initially projected six to eight weeks.
The department must be restored more quickly, because the emergency department constitutes "a community need," said Chief Executive Officer Jim Bickel.
Options to speed up the process include using work crews around the clock, or establishing an offsite emergency department.
Bickel explained to Columbus Rotary Club members how flooding on June 7 damaged the hospital, causing it to shut down and evacuate 157 patients.
Bickel believes other hospital services will be re-established in the near future, and for the short-term some would be at locations other than the 17th Street facility.
"We anticipate within three months we'll get a significant amount of services up and running," Bickel said.
Inpatient services are estimated to reopen in three to six months, said Denise Glesing, director of planning and marketing.
It is unknown when the hospital will be fully restored.
Re-establishing services also will generate revenues, which will allow CRH to adhere to its pledge to pay all employees for at least the next three months during the hospital's recovery.
"If more time is needed, we will look to extend our pay commitment as long as financially feasible," Glesing said.
Each pay period, every two weeks, CRH pays roughly $4 million in salaries and benefits, Bickel said.
That money comes from up to $30 million in cash reserves set aside for the hospital's renovation and expansion project, which has been delayed by the flooding. "We'll eat that (cash) up very quickly without revenue," Bickel said. Glesing said CRH cannot shift other funds beyond that amount.
"It could jeopardize our financial health when we reopen," Glesing said. "Prudent financial management and general industry and financial market guidelines require that hospitals maintain a certain number of days of cash on hand."
CRH has not disclosed its additional amount in cash reserves.
The hospital still has some services that are generating revenue - but not enough for the long-term.
CRH also is taking longterm approaches with facilities it needs to reopen, to see if changes can be made so they operate in more efficient and cost-effective ways.
Lynne Maguire, vice president and chief strategy officer, said some services will not be re-established in the basement, especially those critical to hospital operations.
Laboratory and pharmacy departments and some of HVAC units likely would not return to the basement, Bickel said.
Information technology is being transferred to the hospital's new building at the Info-Tech Park.
Classrooms and offices could be put in the basement instead, Bickel said.
Those changes could help in future flooding, Bickel said.