| OCR Text |
Show ' 7 ' ' . ; ? s . -A -; i " -: . ' w. - f . ' ..js. If II . i , - - ' ; - L Summit County Hospital Hospital's Future Questionable happening," said Greenhalgh. "Things have improved, but it is still running deificits." Greenhalgh said the main problem with the hospital is "a low utilization of beds." "In other words," he said, "The North Summit community is not large enough to support a hospital." If the county decides to build a new centrally located hospital, Greenhalgh said it would probab- ly be near Park City, possibly in the Silver Creek Junction area. "Instead of a community of 2000 supporting it, the hospital could draw on a much larger population base," he said "if the county is going to be in the hospital business, it should look at providing service to everyone in the county." Greenhalgh said his current population projections show that by 1990 North and South Summit combined "will not have a polulation over 4000," while Park City will have a population of "at least 15,000." The April 18 meeting will not deal exclusively with the hospital issue, Greenhalgh added. Calling it a "meet your commissioners night," Greenhalgh Green-halgh said the meeting will include discussion of the proposed propos-ed Snyderville Basin Water District and any other topics brought forth by the public. The future of the Summit County Hospital in Coalville may be in doubt. The county commissioners announced last Tuesday they will hold public hearings next month in the Park City, North Summit and South Summit areas to gauge public opinion on what to do with the hospital, which has continued to operate on a deficit budget with county subsidy in spite of efforts to make it financially self-sufficient. According to County Planning Director Max Greenhalgh, the issue came to' a head last week when Hospital Administrator John Landward approached the commission for a raise in salary for hospital nurses. Landward reportedly told the commission the hospital is now seriously understaffed because low salaries have forced many nurses to leave. Reluctant to increase the budget for a facility already operating in the red, the commissioners decided instead to hold public hearings to consider alternatives to the present situation. situa-tion. Greenhalgh said the four alternatives being considered are: -to continue the status quo and operate a deficit budget hospital out of the county's general fund, -to close the hospital entirely, forcing county residents to use facilities in Ogden, Heber or Salt Lake, -to create a "hospital district" in the North Summit area and impose a special mill levy on residents of the district to fund the deficit. to construct a new hospital in a more central location. A hearing will be held in the Park City area April 18, although an exact location had not been announced at press time. "The commissioners wanted to get the hospital to stand on . its . own feet, but is has 't ben' |
