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Show fcUGlG8GDa E-GjtG?: Eg Equate ip MM By LE ANN ALLEN The South Davis Community Com-munity Hospital, to be vacated vacat-ed in the spring when the new hospital is complete, has been designated as a future convalescent con-valescent home but the plans may be thwarted by technicalities. tech-nicalities. HOSPITAL Adminstrator William P. Moore and Community Com-munity Planning Chairman Harold Pope tell why and what the detriments will be to the local citizens. Hospital and medical care planning is not left entirely in the hands of local people. State and regional. agencies make decisions such as "how many beds are needed." IT WAS determined, following many hearings a few months ago, that South Davis County had a crucial need for more convalescent beds, even though the Salt Lake and Ogden area had more than ample. The South" Davis Community Com-munity Hospital was not allowed to make application with the state and regional agencies because of a technicality tech-nicality that required the facility to be available at least one year following the application. THE YEARS of delay in finalizing plans for a new hospital made it impossible for the old hospital to comply. If a private concern builds a new convalescent home, as presently planned, it could cause taxpayers and patients to lose in higher rates and taxation. "The community has paid for this facility-it is entirely debt free," said Mr. Pope. HE COMPARED the asset of the hospital to the asset of the city's power department to its citizens. "It is a community-owned nonprofit organization," or-ganization," he said. "Even the old hospital has a yearly payroll and budget of more than $3 million a figure paralleling the entire city budget." State, federal and regional agencies have approved an application to let a private concern build a convalescent center. THIS WOULD preclude the possibility for the existing hospital. "This concern represents a bigness in business today that attempts to eliminate and avoid competition," said Mr. Moore. He stated that the same concern will finance the convalescent con-valescent home to be built in Clearfield, monopolizing that particular business in the county. A HEARING is to be held Nov. 4 before the Bountiful City Planning Commission to determine if the site that has been chosen is acceptable. Reuel McPhie has an option on property across the street from the old hospital. "The Bountiful City Council recently approved $25,000 for a master plan," said Mr. Pope. The town has been fragmented in many ways-he mentioned the shopping areas. He expressed concern about fragmentation and the dangers in not being able to plan health facilities in the community. THE PROPERTY owned by Mr. McPhie is zoned R-3, which allows rest homes. "This is more than a rest home," said Mr. Moore. He quoted a Bountiful City Councilwoman as saying "it approaches a quasi-hospital. The plans are elaborate and include diagnostic, spinal cord and birth defect care, occupational therapy, etc." "MR. McPHIE has tried to push it through zoning requirements as a rest home-inconsistent with his statements during other hearings that it will provide comprehensive services." The law provides that a non-profit organization cannot can-not be liquidated as a profit-thus profit-thus the technicalities could cause the hospital to be given, as a gift, to another non-profit organization. THE POSSIBILITY has been mentioned in hearings and again by Mr. Moore that it could be given "as a gift to a Salt Lake hospital." Local taxpayers should be aware of the possibility. Forty of the forty-one members of the South Davis Medical Society have signed a petition supporting the planning plan-ning of converting the hospital hospi-tal into a convalescent center. "If should be tied in with the hospital, allowing services to be reciprocal," said Mr. Pope. "THERE IS a misconception misconcep-tion among some that the physicians stand to gain monetarily by thse plans. Mr. Moore explained that this was iot the case. Some of the physicians, who make up only part 6f the 100 stockholders in the non-profit organization, would gain faster if it was sold as soon as possible to any organization. "Their financial interest would be served by having it go to the first buyer," he said. MR. MOORE pointed out that the hospital may receive approval for convalescent services under the "Grand-daddy "Grand-daddy Law." "We have newspaper clippings dated back to 1968 telling of plans to convert the hospital, eventually, even-tually, into a convalsescent center." The Weber Basin Health Planning Agency and the State Health Planning Agency both came into being after that time. THE TWO health planning agencies came into being as a result of a federal law, requiring regional and state planning'and approval for government subsidized organizations. or-ganizations. All hospitals and convalescent convales-cent homes are subsidized, indirectly, through Medicade and Medicare, making this approval necessary. MR. McPHIE sought approval through these two agencies, sidestepping the question of Bountiful's feelings and willingness to accept it. "Now he comes to the council asking for approval and stating that it is to be merely a rest home," he said. Mr. and Mrs. Earnest H. Hayes, Mr. and Mrs. Darwin Hayes and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wood have returned from a 23-day European tour. They went by plane to London where they visited all points of interest. By rented car they went to Switzerland, France, Austria and back to London. They left the rented car in Paris and crossed the English Channel by boat back to London. In Swirdon, near London, they had a reunion with cousins of Mr. Hayes. There were 35 present. They especially enjoyed the beauty of the green countryside, the profusion of flowers and a tour of the Swiss Alps by cable ca-ble car. The many castles and cathedrals they visited were also a delight to them. It f AM 1 1 - - A it A ja .3 |