OHH Issues $6M Bonds As Hospital Nears Finish

The Olney Hamilton Hospital Board of Directors has approved the sale of the remaining general obligation bonds authorized by voters in 2024, clearing the way for the final phase of financing on the district’s new replacement hospital.

At its June 26 meeting, Acting Chief Executive Officer Stasha Siegart told board members the district’s remaining bond proceeds — approximately $5.77 million after issuance costs — are scheduled to be deposited into the hospital’s account on July 2. The board had approved the bond sale at a special meeting earlier in June.

The funds complete the voter-approved financing package for the new hospital, which is rising across the street from the district’s existing campus, portions of which date back nearly a century.

While the financing marks an important milestone, project manager Dave Lilley said construction itself is entering its final stages, with the focus shifting from building the facility to planning the complex move into it.

“We’ve begun to think about exactly how we land the plane,” Mr. Lilley told the board. “I can’t quite see the runway just yet, but it’s close.”

Mr. Lilley said

the project remains under budget despite higher- than- expected furniture costs. He estimates the project will finish roughly $750,000 to $800,000 below budget, while major medical equipment has begun arriving and is being stored until installation.

Crews recently poured the hospital’s parking lots, and West Hamilton Street is expected to reopen after additional paving work is completed in the coming weeks, Mr. Lilley said. Inside, the crews are installing flooring, tile, plumbing fixtures, and

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205 Central Fwy E • Wichita Falls, TX 76301 electrical finishes, and the portion of the building nearest Avenue M has progressed far enough that visitors can now envision what the completed hospital will look like, he said.

The hospital cannot begin moving equipment into the building until it receives a certificate of occupancy from the City of Olney, followed by inspections from the Texas Department of State Health Services, which ultimately determines when the facility is ready to operate.

Although construction could wrap up this fall, Mr. Lilley cautioned against announcing an opening date too early because factors such as state inspections, seasonal patient volumes or unforeseen issues could require delaying the move by several days or weeks.

“If we don’t like what it looks like as it’s coming into the landing, we’ll wave it off and come back around,” he said. When the move does occur, it will happen almost all at once.

Until the designated hour, the current hospital will remain the hospital district’s licensed facility. Then, in what Mr. Lilley described as an overnight transition, operations will shift to the new building.

Hospital department heads will have opportunities to walk through the nearly completed facility before opening to ensure workspaces meet operational needs and to identify any final adjustments before staff and patients arrive. Board members also requested another construction tour later this summer.