Where will Providence St. Peter Hospital (PSPH) get the money?
Eighty percent of the project will be financed through long-term debt, secured by the Providence Health System and Providence St. Peter Hospital. The Providence Health System will secure $49 million of the $63.3 million total. PSPH could not do this project if it was not part of a larger health care system. The remainder will come from the sale of PSPH assets, the hospital's annual capital budget and charitable contributions from the community.
How can PSPH afford this project, given all the health care reimbursement problems in recent years?
The financial challenges are real. So are the needs. If we fail to renew and expand this hospital's infrastructure, we will not meet the needs of this growing region, both in terms of capacity and quality. Lack of space is already causing patient care and customer service challenges. Without expansion and renewal, our physicians and patients will go elsewhere. Our financial projections show that this project, over time, will generate a positive return on investment. This project is a long-term commitment for our future. It will be dependent upon our ability to continue growing and to meet our budget targets consistently.
Will the quality of patient care be affected during construction?
The construction team has extensive experience working in hospitals and a high level of understanding related to issues involving construction work in occupied health care facilities. In fact, they have award-winning systems for communication and project management. The contractor also has an excellent track record with PSPH on previous projects including the Family Birth Center, Outpatient Surgery Building and SWSA Administration offices. The work requires careful staging and meticulous communication. Our management team is committed to continually improving patient satisfaction over the next four years, even with construction. No doubt, we will need all of your patience and flexibility as we move into construction, but the end result will be well worth it.
Who are the contractors for this work? How does this affect local contractors?
The PSPH Contractor Selection Committee included hospital staff, project architects and Community Board representatives. After a careful review process, the committee selected Sellen Construction of Seattle to be the general contractor for the emergency department expansion, parking garage and public concourse. Andy Johnson & Company, Olympia, will be the contractor for the cath lab expansion. A significant percentage of the $63.3 million project will be subcontracted to Thurston County companies.
How will the Community Board be involved in this project?
The Community Board is forming a new committee--the Site and Facilities Committee--to review project issues and report back to the full board. While the committee is just forming, members to date include Dennis Adams who will serve as chairman, Al Cohen, Gary Kamimura, Jan Putnam and Denny Peterson.
Who are the architects for campus renewal?
PSPH has selected Giffin Bolte Jurgens Architects (GBJ) from Portland. They are known for their work on hospitals, including the MultiCare System in Tacoma and Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland. We are also working with Scherer Associates from Olympia.
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