GUTHRIE CENTER, Iowa — Guthrie County Hospital has recently received loan approval from the USDA Office of Rural Development. This means the hospital has access to affordable long-term financing to complete its renovation and expansion plans.
For more than a year, Guthrie County Hospital has been developing its strategy for renovation and expansion to better serve the community. With the help of ACI Boland Architects, the hospital completed a campus assessment and Campus Master Plan. From that planning activity, hospital leadership concluded that the facility needs extensive improvements to continue to serve the community with the highest quality services.
“It is the right time for a more comprehensive renovation and expansion of hospital facilities,” said Mike Underwood, Hospital Board Chairman. “We must modernize our entire hospital campus to continue to grow our services and remain competitive,” Underwood continued.
Construction drawings are fully developed and ready to be implemented after the hospital recently received approval of its architectural plan from the USDA, the State Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing and the State Fire Marshal.
The planned construction will impact about 75% of the existing building. There will be approximately 17,000 square feet of new construction and 34,000 square feet of remodeled space. Parking and access to the building will also be addressed.
Goals for this expansion and renovation project include:
- Modernizing the overall look and feel of the hospital to create the best healing environment
- Empowering staff and medical staff to deliver the most efficient and highest quality care possible
- Improving physical flow of patient and visitor traffic inside and outside the facility
- Improved privacy for patients and families
- Increased access to broader outpatient services, with emphasis on access to primary care and specialty clinic services
- Improved safety and infection prevention for patients and visitors
- Supporting growth in breadth and depth of all services
- Additional meeting room and education space for the hospital and the public
- Improved efficiency and reduced costs through integration or upgrading of building mechanical systems
“The next big step is to complete the construction bidding process,” said Chris Stipe, Chief Executive Officer. “Once the bids are in, we will know how well our budgeted cost projections provided by Graham Construction reflect the true cost of the project.” Graham Construction was chosen as the Construction Manager at risk (CMAR) for the project through a required competitive bidding process. When a Construction Manager is “at risk” they are responsible for managing costs to a project budget, and they are held financially responsible for any cost overruns.
In Iowa, the CMAR delivery method was recently added as an option for public entities. This method allows a construction manager to assume the risk for the project, providing an alternative to traditional bidding processes. The Iowa Legislature implemented this change effective July 1, 2022, expanding the project delivery methods available to public entities in the state.
The Hospital Governing Board will have a final vote on the project once the construction bids have been received.
According to Stipe, if everything falls into place, the hospital could possibly break ground in October.
The hospital is also planning town hall meetings around the county to inform the public about more project details. Dates, locations, and times to be determined.