Phase 3 set to begin at PMH

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PRINCETON — Phase 3 of Perry Memorial Hospital’s Master Plan remodeling project should begin this month. At Tuesday’s meeting of the Princeton City Council, Perry Memorial CEO Rex Conger said Phase 3 of the Master Plan facility project will include a complete facelift for public places on the ground and first floors, a new main entrance and lobby area, and new ventilation and sprinkling systems. Phase 3 is projected to cost $3.5 million and take about 18 months to complete.

In talking about the past fiscal year, Conger reviewed new staffing, the installation of new technology and equipment, and new services and programs. The hospital hosted 149 community events last year, including outreach and flu clinics, community health screenings, health fairs, and training programs. About 4,600 people participated in those outreach programs.

“Last year was a good year; we anticipate this year will be even better,” Conger said. “More importantly, our focus as an organization will remain quality care and customer service.”

Perry Memorial’s interim CFO Bill Stoltzfus reviewed the recently received hospital audit, saying Perry Memorial ended the fiscal year with a positive bottom line of $1.7 million.

“That is a very respectable number for a hospital the size of Perry,” Stoltzfus said.

The $1.7 million bottom line is actually about $2 million less than the previous year, Stoltzfus said. Perry Memorial had a lower operations income this year by about 2 percent due to loss of two surgeons, and expenses were up about 7 percent. Also, the previous year was an exceptionally good year, he said.

In other financial review, Stoltzfus said contractual allowances, which is the difference between what is billed and what is received, was at 45 percent, which is about average for hospitals.

Perry Memorial’s charity care increased from about $406,000 last year to $800,000 this year, Conger said.

In other business at Tuesday’s meeting, the city council voted to move its animal control facility from a garage site on North Euclid Avenue to the former Bureau Valley Veterinary Clinic at 540 Elm Place.

The facility will be shared with Bureau County’s animal control program. The county and city will split the $800 monthly rent as well as utilities. Julia McCutchan is the landlord for the building.

Mayor Keith Cain said the city and county outgrew the other facility, and more space was needed. Utilizing an existing empty building is also a good move, he said.

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