A Message from Olney Hamilton Hospital
As Olney Hamilton Hospital gets closer to breaking ground on our new state-of-the-art medical facility, we want to address community concerns with transparency, compassion, and honesty. We have listened to your concerns, and we understand your questions. We are here to give you information.
Inflation has impacted everything in our country, including the price of the materials and labor needed to build the new much-needed Olney Hamilton Hospital.
The estimated construction cost has risen from $550 per square foot to $720 per square foot in less than a year. We have been working tirelessly to ensure this project gets completed in the most efficient and affordable way possible for the benefit of our well-deserved community.
The board has already approved plans to remove obstetrics from the healthcare lineup, a tough, but much-needed decision that will save the town $1 million per year. This decision was made because over 70% of the child-bearing women in the Olney area go to other towns or cities to give birth.
We understand that the additional taxes that the citizens of Olney are being asked to pay to complete this project is no small increase. However, the economic benefits that this new hospital can bring to our town can lead to great things for Olney today and in the future.
The first part of our hospital was built almost 100 years ago. With a building currently this old, it is only a matter of time before we are forced to shut down due to safety concerns and a lack of up-to-date medical technology.
Furthermore, we are aware that our future compliance with state inspections will most likely ensure that our current hospital will not pass those diligent, yet important inspection processes. We are asking you to stay with us as we navigate the best, and most affordable, approach to providing the people of Olney with access to the greatest medical care possible.
As more and more rural hospitals shut down in our surrounding area, we have been blessed and are fortunate enough to have a top 100 critical access hospital that has won three national awards in our community. This new hospital will provide us and our families with the medical care we all deserve.
We are investing in more than just our health and safety. We are investing in Olney’s future generations - your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Simply put, we deserve to keep this hospital.
If Olney Hamilton Hospital were to ever close, it is most likely it would never come back again. Let’s treasure the gift we have today and invest in the future. Keeping the hospital on budget is our top priority. Every decision the board has made to date has been with deep consideration, current data, compassion, and the utmost concern for Quality Patient Care.
With our aging population, hospitals closing all around us, and our hospital on the verge of not passing future inspections due to the inefficiencies of an old facility; we have to stop and think, can we afford NOT to build this hospital?