HCHC parking lot improvements projected to begin late August

BY BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

Henry County Health Center (HCHC) won?t be wasting any time in getting started on some parking lot improvements.

During Tuesday?s HCHC Board of Trustees meeting, work on the Rehabilitation and Administration parking lot on the south side of the hospital, as well as construction of a canopy at that parking lot?s entrance, was met with approval. The estimated cost of the parking lot is approximately $480,000, while the canopy?s construction will total about $155,000.

?We want to improve access (to the hospital) and our patients? safety,? HCHC CEO Robb Gardner reiterated to the board on Tuesday.

According to Gardner, the project will begin sometime in late August of this year and hopefully be completed sometime in October. During construction, the health center does plan on staffing extra volunteers to help patients navigate any detours that will have to be put in place during the different stages of the construction.

?Our hope is that this lasts us 20 to 30 years,? Gardner said. ?It?s certainly an investment, but it will be beneficial to us long term.?

The pre-bid meeting for both projects will be held on Aug. 4, at 10 a.m. Bids need to be submitted by Aug. 16, as they will opened and reviewed at 10 a.m. that day. The bids will be presented to the board and a public hearing will be held during the noon board meeting on Aug. 16, as well.

Looking even farther ahead, Gardner also stated that HCHC?s East parking lot also needs some attention at some point in the near future to repair growing cracks and unevenness. HCHC CFO Dave Muhs stated that he and Gardner would both be looking into the financial burden of doing some work to the East lot at some point as well. Those details should be brought before the HCHC Board of Trustees in August or September.

Besides talk of parking lots, the board also approved a five-year lease for four additional health monitors for the emergency department and announced that board members Kent Severson, Ron Clouse and Jan Towne are all up for re-election. As for board member Joel Prottsman, he will also have to run for his seat as he was originally appointed to fill a board vacancy.

With nothing more to discuss on the regular agenda, the board moved into closed session to discuss strategic proprietary information.

The next HCHC Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 16, at noon, in the HCHC Board Room.