PRESS RELEASE
REPLACEMENT FACILITY

July 22, 2008

Lynn Klein, Mendota Community Hospital Administrator/CEO, announced that MCH will be purchasing land on the east edge of Mendota from the Truckenbrod family on which to build a replacement hospital facility. After many months of thoughtful planning and careful study, the Hospital Board of Directors and Major Modernization Team has determined that an addition to the present hospital building was not practical, given the age of the existing facilities and the limited amount of property for both a building addition and required parking. “MCH has had the good fortune to be able to update our hospital and clinic buildings; however, as our community’s needs have changed so too have the demands placed on our healthcare system and infrastructure,” says Klein. “It’s no secret that we are out of space and are dealing with an outdated infrastructure and limited interior space which is unable to accommodate the new technology that impacts patient care.”

Over the past decade, trends have shifted. Healthcare is no longer seen as a service that community members seek in times of illness. Recent data indicates that today, more and more people view wellness and preventative medicine as a necessity in the way they live. In a recent study conducted by the National Center for Rural Health Works, experts point out that a strong, viable hometown healthcare system plays an important role in rural economies. By providing comprehensive medical services in these areas, rural communities are able to keep local dollars close to home, provide significant employment opportunities, and spare many the high costs associated with commuting for their care. A viable healthcare system in the Mendota service area also attracts new physicians and allied health professionals as well as new residents and businesses.

Mendota Community Hospital is a designated Critical Access Hospital (CAH), one of 50 in the state of Illinois, and as of December 2007, one of only 1,292 throughout the United States. A CAH is a unique designation enacted by Congress to help rural facilities meet the healthcare challenges in the communities they serve. Many CAH hospitals are revitalizing healthcare in their communities through replacement hospital facilities. The CAH patient census may not exceed 25, thus, offering more personal attention to each patient.

Klein explains that MCH has engaged the services of a professional healthcare facility project manager as well as an architect familiar with the special needs of a Critical Access Hospital. They have helped us evaluate our needs and with the selection of a site that will best meet the needs of a replacement hospital. MCH anticipates that they will be finalizing the conceptual facility design within the next 60 days.

As with any project of this magnitude, funding is an essential part of the process.
MCH leadership states that CAH replacement hospital projects are seen favorably in today’s markets and that funding will be made possible through a combination of current assets, cash reserves, operational revenue, gifts from a comprehensive capital campaign and a financial loan or tax exempt bonds. Because MCH is an independent 501(c)(3) organization and does not receive tax support for hospital services, no tax dollars will be spent towards this project. The Mendota Community Hospital Foundation supports various hospital improvement projects and will be instrumental in launching a major capital campaign in support of the replacement hospital.

MCH is working with a professional team that has vast experience navigating the way for others who have embarked on the replacement hospital journey. MCH will identify key services to expand and likewise, the physicians and allied health professionals to engage in order to prepare for MCH’s future growth. The hospital will soon begin working toward the completion of its Certificate of Need Application for the State of Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board.