May 12, 1999 7:00 p.m. Athens Regional Medical Center Physicians' Imaging Center Meeting between Citizens for Healthy Neighborhoods, various residents, and Athens Regional Medical Center
Present: Mike Geyer, Grady Ave; Krysia Haag, Boulevard; Tom Noell, Waverly Ct.; Kathy Shaw, Talmadge; Laura Hall, King Ave.; Amy Andrews, King Ave.; David Lynn, Cobb St.; Sally Speed, Cobb St.; Laurie Fowler, Cobb St.; Melanie Wilson, Cobb St.; Clint McCrory, Ogelthorpe Ave.; Paul Maynard, Oglethorpe County; Angela Meltzer, Five Points; Margie Spalding, Cobb St.; Sue Custance, Oglethorpe Ave.; David Bryant, Pulaski Heights; Ed Dye, Normal Ave.; Carl Nichols, ARMC Planning and Facilities Committee Chairman; Buck Griffin, ARMC attorney; Gary Phelps, ARMC administrator; Jack Drew, ARMC CEO; Elaine Cook, ARMC Public Relations; Pete McCommons, Flagpole; Joanna Soto, Athens Daily News.
Mr. Nichols opened the meeting stating that his goal was to organize, get input, and proceed from that point. He introduced Elaine Cook and asked that she be the contact point for communications from Citizens for Healthy Neighborhoods (CHN) as he was often out-of-pocket. David Lynn, co-chair of CHN, introduced the organization, their mission statement and explained who was represented by the group. Mr. Nichols stated that he felt ARMC's goals were in keeping with those of CHN as stated in their mission statement, although he would like to add the goal of "meeting the medical needs of the area".
One of the items in CHN's goals, as read by Mr. Lynn, was the "return of residential properties to the neighborhood." To Mr. Drew's question of specifically which houses, Mr. Nichols requested that we defer those details to a future meeting.
Mr. Nichols discussed the five-year plan which includes a medical service building, a cancer care center, expansion of the existing emergency room, and additional surface parking on Talmadge and King Avenue which requires the demolition of homes bought by ARMC. The projected cost is $17 million dollars. He stressed that the five-year plan was necessary to meet current medical needs, not forecasted needs. He asked that CHN accept the five-year plan and work together on the 10 and 20-year plan.
He introduced Gary Phelps who explained ARMC's current medical needs: The emergency room was designed for approximately 40,000 visits per year; currently there are 42,000 - 45,000 visits per year. The average wait is three hours. Sixty percent of the business is non-emergency care. Services in the same area as the emergency room, endoscopy and cardio-pulmonary services, the pharmacy, and the medical library will also be enlarged and moved to adjacent areas once that portion of the hospital is renovated. The proposed medical building, which will be situated behind the existing Commencement Center/Midwifery Clinic, will be four to five stories, 20,000 square feet per floor, with a total building size of approximately 110,000 square feet. The building will be serviced by an expanded surface parking lot that exits on King Ave. The proposed uses for the building include radiation oncology, midwifery clinic, home health, education services, rehabilitation services, and administrative space. He explained that the piece of equipment needed for radiation oncology is extraordinarily large and needs to be housed on a ground level space for easy access. The medical building is purposely placed in close proximity to the proposed Loran Smith Cancer Care Center, whose services will be offered free of charge to patients. Mr. Drew stated that employees would be required to park in the existing parking deck, reserving the surface parking lot on King and Talmadge for patients; he did not project high amounts of traffic from the new medical building.
In explaining the relocation of rehabilitation services, Mr. Phelps stated that the department has had an 85% growth rate since opening in 1987, and that 80% of their business has become outpatient. At their current location on the second floor of the north tower, accessibility is difficult for people with a disability requiring them to use their services.
Mr. Nichols stressed that physician practices are not moving into this medical building—that it was a misconception. He then turned the discussion over to Buck Griffin, attorney for ARMC, to discuss funding of the five year plan through the issuance of bonds.
Mr. Griffin explained the relationship between Athens-Clarke County (ACC) and Athens Regional Medical Center, from the creation of the hospital authority in the 1960's to the services provided to the county by ARMC: ambulance and 911 service and indigent care. Members of the hospital authority board are appointed by the ACC commission.
The funding for the five year plan will come from bonds which have traditionally been guaranteed by the ACC government. An addendum placed in those bond contracts is the provision that ARMC furnish indigent care to residents of ACC. By having the ACC government guaranteeing the bonds, the hospital has been able to secure better interest rates which ultimately equals less costs passed on to patients.
Mr. Griffin said that there is a misconception regarding the bond issue—that it will fund the 10 and 20 year plan. He said that these funds are destined for the five-year plan and that dedicated funds are placed in an escrow account for the projects specified. ACC gives $660,000 per year to ARMC for indigent care which is far less than the actual cost. He stated that ARMC may have to start billing the county for indigent care if the bond cost is higher without ACC's guarantee. Mr. Nichols said that the bond contract will go before commission on May 18 for a vote.
In response to questions raised regarding the corporate structure of the hospital, Mr. Griffin gave a brief description of each entity:
Athens Regional Health Ventures is chartered, for-profit, but has never been activated, and has no board of directors.
Athens Regional Health Services is a holding company which can establish services outside of the county such as the ones in Madison and Oconee Counties. All are 501-C organizations. All land currently owned by the hospital comes under the auspices of the hospital authority except for land in neighboring counties which is owned by Athens Regional Health Services.
Athens Health Plan Select is their HMO service which is taxable and non-profit. This board is distinct in that it is approved by the insurance commissioner.
Physicians Services was formed to fill the need for pediatrician, family care and internal medicine physicians.
Elaine Cook has a brochure explaining the different entities which she will bring to next meeting.
Mr. Nichols would like to put together a committee for additional help in the planning endeavor which would include three people from the immediate neighborhood; three people from Athens-Clarke County at large; members of the ARMC planning and facilities committee: Carl Nichols, chairman; Julian Franklin, Al Stone, Howard Stroud, Helen Mills; and ACC planning department staff members.
Mr. Nichols announced that he would be meeting with ACC officials tomorrow and will tell them that ARMC is no longer interested in acquiring properties on the east side of King Avenue not already owned by the hospital and will not support the stormwater facilities on the 20 year plan.
He is dedicated to having a 20 year plan by September 1, 1999 and will recommend that there be no new acquisition of property during the planning phase. John Drew said they have a deposit on 249 King Ave. (east side of King) but that they would be willing to release it.
Mr. Nichols then opened up the floor to questions: Mr. Lynn asked if it was ARMC's intent to proceed with five year plan. The response was yes. He also asked if ARMC was unwilling to live within the footprint of the existing hospital. The response was that ARMC cannot do that and meet immediate medical needs.
In response to a question regarding the old Trusso property, Mr. Drew said it was purchased with the intent to use it for an assisted living facility, but did not elaborate on its eventual fate.
When asked about the timetable for the five year plan, it was stated that groundbreaking was to begin fall of this year.
Kathy Shaw of Talmadge raised her concern of traffic problems on Talmadge. Mr. Drew suggested Talmadge be dead-ended near the cancer center so that hospital traffic would be prevented from using the residential end.
Gwen O'Looney asked if the hospital had been distributing flyers to residents of the Sylvan Circle area, offering to buy their homes. They said they had not, it was contrary to their intentions, and would like to discover who was.
To the question, "Are you receiving federal funding for the five-year plan?" Jack Drew responded, "No."
Gwen O'Looney asked if ARMC would object to having a joint meeting with the Athens Clarke County master plan consultant, John Fregonese. Mr. Nichols said that would be agreeable with them.
Mr. Nichols asked if the group assembled could set a meeting schedule. Mr. Lynn said that CHN would be contacting him about with that information soon. It was generally agreed that Tuesdays and Wednesdays would not be good nights to meet; the second and fourth Thursdays were the nights that the ACC planners could not meet. Mr. Nichols asked if we would object to scheduling future meetings at ARMC; none of those in attendance had any objections.
Respectfully submitted, Amy Andrews