This is GREAT news for Ripon:
By Patricia Wolffof The Northwestern
RIPON – These times of economic uncertainty will do nothing to hold back the folks in Ripon who want a new hospital for their community.
They are moving full steam ahead on fundraising for a $30 million hospital in the city's business park. Ground will be broken in 2009 and the new hospital will open in 2011.
Ripon has some history to live up to when it comes to building hospitals in tough times. The community's first hospital, after all, was financed through a bond issue during the height of the Great Depression.
"Ripon has kind, generous and caring people. They are still kind, generous and caring even during a bad economy," said Bonnie Lueck, executive vice president of the Foundation for Ripon Medical Center, the entity helping to raise some of the money for the new hospital.
Lueck and her volunteers hope to raise from $1.5 million to $2 million in 36 to 48 months. They are taking a slower approach than a traditional capital campaign, which might attempt to raise that amount in two years or less.
The recent instability of the stock market merely solidified the foundations' decision to take the slower approach, Lueck said.
The city is playing a role by giving the hospital a deal on 10 acres near the corner of State Highway 44 and Douglas Street. It is selling the acres at $15,000 each rather than the going rate of $20,000, and allowing pay back over 10 years with no interest, said City Administrator Steve Barg.
In addition the city will front $210,000, which the hospital will pay back in lieu of taxes at the rate of $21,000 per year for 10 years. Under terms of the agreement, which has not yet been signed, the city will take ownership of the old hospital with its dated infrastructure at 933 Newbury St. The city already owns the land that RMC pays $21,000 annually to lease.
City officials are looking at ways to use the old hospital, or the land, if the buildings are demolished.
The Need
Nannette Roberts wears lots of hats at RMC. She is director of health information services, information privacy officer and interim primary care services director. In that last capacity she is responsible for making sure all the doctors and specialists and their support staff who work in the Medical office Building have the space they need to get their jobs done. It's a bit like fitting 10 pounds of apples into a five-pound sack.
"I've created a daily calendar to keep things straight. I actually draw a picture of the rooms that shows on Monday this is what the room will look like. Next week we're short two rooms on one day. We are definitely bursting at the seams," Roberts said.
She has a new office, small but efficient. That could change at any minute, she said. If necessary, she'll vacate to make room for medical staff.
Throughout the years since the first hospital opened its doors in 1936 there have been multiple expansions and renovations. Staff have made do quite well with the facilities but "we've built on top and built on top" and now it's time for a new hospital, said Joan Karsten, president of RMC's board of directors.
Regular inspections underscored the need to update and improve. Originally, the plan had been to add on again, but it soon became apparent that would cost nearly as much as a new hospital, Karsten said.
Consultants hired by RMC interviewed some key community people. The results helped the hospital chart its course.
"People want to help with a new hospital. It benefits them and their families for generations to come. For businesses, it's easier to recruit if we have amenities.
"Health care is very important because of the college. Parents want to know we have 24/7 healthcare with trained physicians on staff," Lueck said.
Ripon Medical Center is a 25-bed hospital that serves 25,000 people in Ripon and surrounding communities, providing a broad range of medical, surgical, rehabilitative and emergency services.
Iona Altnau has been at RMC longer than anyone. The emergency room registered nurse has worked nearly every nursing detail at the hospital in her 47 years there. She is nearing retirement and may not still be working when the new hospital opens, but she's excited for her coworkers.
Things are much better in ER than they were back in the days when the department was one room in the basement with a hallway as a waiting room. But still, there is room for improvement, Altnau said.
The new hospital will provide a private triage area to give patients more privacy. As it is now, the ER waiting room is small and staff must try to talk to incoming patients to determine where to out them without having other patients overhear their conversations.
Her colleague Joann Strandell is looking forward to the day when RMC has more than one ambulance, when they won't have to hurry an ambulance driver along because another is waiting.
The new hospital will provide luxuries many hospitals don't think twice about, such as a loading dock, more parking space and a helicopter landing pad that is not in a residential area for the first time in the hospital's history, Karsten said.
The hospital is the first building to lay claim to the city's expanded business park.
Patricia Wolff: (920) 426-6689 or pwolff@thenorthwestern.com.
RIPON – These times of economic uncertainty will do nothing to hold back the folks in Ripon who want a new hospital for their community.
They are moving full steam ahead on fundraising for a $30 million hospital in the city's business park. Ground will be broken in 2009 and the new hospital will open in 2011.
Ripon has some history to live up to when it comes to building hospitals in tough times. The community's first hospital, after all, was financed through a bond issue during the height of the Great Depression.
"Ripon has kind, generous and caring people. They are still kind, generous and caring even during a bad economy," said Bonnie Lueck, executive vice president of the Foundation for Ripon Medical Center, the entity helping to raise some of the money for the new hospital.
Lueck and her volunteers hope to raise from $1.5 million to $2 million in 36 to 48 months. They are taking a slower approach than a traditional capital campaign, which might attempt to raise that amount in two years or less.
The recent instability of the stock market merely solidified the foundations' decision to take the slower approach, Lueck said.
The city is playing a role by giving the hospital a deal on 10 acres near the corner of State Highway 44 and Douglas Street. It is selling the acres at $15,000 each rather than the going rate of $20,000, and allowing pay back over 10 years with no interest, said City Administrator Steve Barg.
In addition the city will front $210,000, which the hospital will pay back in lieu of taxes at the rate of $21,000 per year for 10 years. Under terms of the agreement, which has not yet been signed, the city will take ownership of the old hospital with its dated infrastructure at 933 Newbury St. The city already owns the land that RMC pays $21,000 annually to lease.
City officials are looking at ways to use the old hospital, or the land, if the buildings are demolished.
The Need
Nannette Roberts wears lots of hats at RMC. She is director of health information services, information privacy officer and interim primary care services director. In that last capacity she is responsible for making sure all the doctors and specialists and their support staff who work in the Medical office Building have the space they need to get their jobs done. It's a bit like fitting 10 pounds of apples into a five-pound sack.
"I've created a daily calendar to keep things straight. I actually draw a picture of the rooms that shows on Monday this is what the room will look like. Next week we're short two rooms on one day. We are definitely bursting at the seams," Roberts said.
She has a new office, small but efficient. That could change at any minute, she said. If necessary, she'll vacate to make room for medical staff.
Throughout the years since the first hospital opened its doors in 1936 there have been multiple expansions and renovations. Staff have made do quite well with the facilities but "we've built on top and built on top" and now it's time for a new hospital, said Joan Karsten, president of RMC's board of directors.
Regular inspections underscored the need to update and improve. Originally, the plan had been to add on again, but it soon became apparent that would cost nearly as much as a new hospital, Karsten said.
Consultants hired by RMC interviewed some key community people. The results helped the hospital chart its course.
"People want to help with a new hospital. It benefits them and their families for generations to come. For businesses, it's easier to recruit if we have amenities.
"Health care is very important because of the college. Parents want to know we have 24/7 healthcare with trained physicians on staff," Lueck said.
Ripon Medical Center is a 25-bed hospital that serves 25,000 people in Ripon and surrounding communities, providing a broad range of medical, surgical, rehabilitative and emergency services.
Iona Altnau has been at RMC longer than anyone. The emergency room registered nurse has worked nearly every nursing detail at the hospital in her 47 years there. She is nearing retirement and may not still be working when the new hospital opens, but she's excited for her coworkers.
Things are much better in ER than they were back in the days when the department was one room in the basement with a hallway as a waiting room. But still, there is room for improvement, Altnau said.
The new hospital will provide a private triage area to give patients more privacy. As it is now, the ER waiting room is small and staff must try to talk to incoming patients to determine where to out them without having other patients overhear their conversations.
Her colleague Joann Strandell is looking forward to the day when RMC has more than one ambulance, when they won't have to hurry an ambulance driver along because another is waiting.
The new hospital will provide luxuries many hospitals don't think twice about, such as a loading dock, more parking space and a helicopter landing pad that is not in a residential area for the first time in the hospital's history, Karsten said.
The hospital is the first building to lay claim to the city's expanded business park.
Patricia Wolff: (920) 426-6689 or pwolff@thenorthwestern.com.
PICTURED - Emergency Room nurse Iona Altnau and Dr. Robert Pfeffer treat patient Rick Newcomb's cat bite on his finger Tuesday at Ripon Medical Center. Altnau has been working at RMC for 47 years. (Shu-Ling Zhou/of The Northwestern)
