The Medical Center Announces Change in Expansion Plans

Faced with the immediate demands created by a growing population and an increasing share of the inpatient market in the Southcentral Kentucky region, The Medical Center at Bowling Green announced today that it is refocusing and re-engineering its expansion plans for the hospital. The revised project will enable The Medical Center to more quickly address the growing need for additional inpatient rooms.

“Many factors have led us to the decision to change the scope and location of our expansion, but the most important issue is the need to bring on-line as many new patient rooms as soon as possible,” said Connie Smith, Chief Executive Officer of The Medical Center. “The Medical Center continues to be the hospital of choice for a large majority of the growing population in Southcentral Kentucky. Recognized as the regional healthcare provider, we are obligated to address the escalating need for additional space as quickly as we can in the most cost-efficient manner,” added Smith.

In order to expedite the completion of the much needed rooms, the revised expansion plans call for a two-story addition to the current Emergency Department and Ambulatory Surgery wing of the hospital located along the High Street side of the hospital’s campus. Since the base of this building was designed for future expansion, the infrastructure is in place and no existing functions will need to be relocated before the project can begin.

“With the revised plan, we will quickly be able to add 100 percent clinical space to meet our immediate patient care needs,” stated Smith. The addition will provide approximately 48,000 square feet of new space that will be designated entirely for patient care and will enable The Medical Center to accommodate 48 new private rooms. With these additional rooms, The Medical Center will have the capacity to operate all 330 beds for which it is licensed.

The rising cost of construction in the healthcare industry has also contributed to the decision to refocus its expansion plans. Final construction bids for the original project far exceeded initial estimates. The new project is estimated to cost $30 million.

While the original project was projected to take three years for completion, the revised plan is estimated to take approximately 24 months. Plans are still being finalized, and construction will begin later this year.

The Medical Center Receives Accreditation from the American College of Radiology

The Medical Center at Bowling Green has been awarded a three-year accreditation in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) by the American College of Radiology (ACR). The accreditation recognizes MRI services at The Medical Center for meeting stringent quality standards.

“This accreditation is not required, but is strictly voluntary,” stated Connie Smith, Chief Executive Officer of The Medical Center. “We want to provide the best possible care for our patients, and earning MRI Accreditation proves that we are dedicated to continuously improving upon the quality of care we deliver.”

The ACR awards accreditation to facilities for the achievement of high practice standards after a peer-review evaluation, which is conducted by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field of MRI. They evaluate qualifications of personnel, equipment performance, effectiveness of quality control measures, and quality of clinical images. In addition to MRI Accreditation, The Medical Center’s Ultrasound and Mammography services are also accredited by the ACR.

The ACR is a national organization serving more than 32,000 diagnostic-interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, and nuclear medicine and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health services.

The Medical Center is an Economic Driver in Southcentral Kentucky

The Medical Center plays a critical role in the health of Southcentral Kentuckians, but few people are aware of the economic contributions the hospital provides. The Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) recently commissioned University of Louisville economics professor Dr. Paul Coomes and his department with creating an economic impact modeling system, providing a means for individual hospitals to report the economic contributions they make to their community. Among many other findings, Dr. Coomes concluded that hospitals rank 7th highest among other industries in Kentucky in terms of jobs, but 5th highest in wages and salaries.

The Medical Center provides a source of well-paying jobs that supply state and local tax revenue. Furthermore, The Medical Center and its employees also support other local businesses through purchases of goods and services. The result is a “ripple effect” on the economic health of our community as these dollars move throughout the larger economy, generating additional jobs and spending in the community.

• The Medical Center provides more than 1,447 full time equivalent jobs in the community, generating approximately $61.8 million in annual local payroll.

• In many smaller communities, the local hospital is the largest private employer, as is the case with The Medical Center at Bowling Green.

• The $61.8 million in wages and salaries The Medical Center pays its employees comprises nearly 3.4 percent of all wages and salaries in Warren County.

• The Medical Center is responsible for approximately $11.9 million in state and local tax revenue through the taxes they pay directly and tax revenue generated from its employees.

• The Medical Center paid nearly $1.3 million in city and county occupational taxes and public school occupational taxes.

• The Medical Center paid approximately $4.9 million in provider taxes to the state to help support the Kentucky Medicaid program. When matched with federal funds, their provider tax supports $16.3 million in state Medicaid spending.

• Kentucky receives $5.7 million in income and sales taxes linked to the wages and salaries of The Medical Center employees.

• Funds spent by hospitals and their employees to buy goods and services flow to local businesses and then ripple throughout the economy. The Medical Center is responsible for generating approximately $60.4 million in local economic activity from the purchases we make and those made by employees.

• The Medical Center purchases many goods and services and generates nearly $34.3 million for local companies from purchases.

• The employees of The Medical Center spend an estimated $26.1 million in local purchases.

• In 2006, the unreimbursed cost to The Medical Center just for treating people without insurance whose income was below the federal poverty level topped $5.7 million, and these patients are not billed. This amount does not include charity care provided to uninsured persons with higher income, bad debt, or the cost of caring for Medicare and Medicaid patients that these two government programs do not pay for.

• The Medical Center’s financial strength is intimately tied to payments from Medicare and Medicaid because approximately 39 percent of our patients are covered by one of these programs.

A 10 percent change in the net patient revenue (the amount the hospital actually collects) for The Medical Center at Bowling Green resulting in payment cuts in Medicare, Medicaid or other programs would:

• Reduce hospital employee wages and salaries by about $6.2 million and result in some combination of lost jobs and reduced pay per job in the broader community.

• Reduce state and local government tax revenue by nearly $1.4 million.

• The ripple effect to other businesses would be a loss of $29.5 million in regional sales and a reduction of nearly $8.4 million in regional wage and salaries.

It is imperative that The Medical Center and hospitals throughout Kentucky remain financially strong and stable. Because 39 percent of The Medical Center’s patients are covered by Medicare or Medicaid, reductions in reimbursement from these government programs not only adversely impacts The Medical Center and its employees, but state and local government and the local economy will feel the negative impact as well.

The Medical Center Health & Wellness Center Relocates in Greenwood Mall

After 10 years in its location in the Sears wing of Greenwood Mall, The Medical Center Health & Wellness Center is scheduled to begin operations in a new location in the Mall beginning Monday, January 28. The new Health & Wellness Center is located at the front of the mall between Lifeway Christian Store and Dillard’s.

“I believe patrons of the Center will enjoy our new location with a dedicated outside entrance and immediate access to handicapped parking,” said Linda Rush, Director of Community Wellness for The Medical Center. “The Health & Wellness Center has become a destination for many throughout the region who are seeking information about living a healthy lifestyle. Whether they want to get in shape or learn self-management techniques for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, the Health & Wellness Center is an invaluable resource.”

“The Health & Wellness Center and the community wellness efforts of The Medical Center have made a tremendous impact in our area,” stated Doris Thomas, Vice President of Marketing and Development for Commonwealth Health Corporation, parent company of The Medical Center. “In 2007, the Center witnessed nearly 29,000 patron visits, and collectively, over 30,000 people are members of the Women’s Center, Men’s Health Alliance, Senior Health Network, Healthy Kids Club and Community Walking Program.”

In addition to membership programs, the Health & Wellness Center offers a number of services including medical nutrition therapy, diabetes education, exercise classes, and a wealth of screenings and support groups.

“One look at our quarterly newsletter and one can see just how many services, screenings and support groups we offer,” added Rush. “Last year alone, we provided over 8,000 screenings to the residents of Southcentral Kentucky and dozens of classes and support groups are available at the Center every month.”

To celebrate the grand opening of the new location, The Health & Wellness Center will host a Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on Thursday, February 14 at 9:30 a.m. The Health & Wellness Center is open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and is closed on Saturday and Sunday. For more information about the Health & Wellness Center and its services, call (270) 745-0942 or (877) 800-3842.

The Medical Center Teams with Kohl's Department Stores to Improve Community Wellness

Commonwealth Health Foundation has received a $16,485.35 grant from the Kohlˇ¦s Cares For Kids program to support community wellness efforts at The Medical Center at Bowling Green.

The grant was used to build a community walking trail, including various fitness stations, connecting Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary School and Girls, Inc. A check presentation and ribbon cutting for the completed walking trail will be held at Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary School on Friday, November 9 at 1:00 p.m.

The grant also provided first through fifth grade students at the school with free memberships to The Medical Center Healthy Kidˇ¦s Club. The memberships include quarterly programs and activities that encourage healthy lifestyles, such as Exercise, Nutrition and Pedometer Power. In order to help promote physical fitness, 100 pedometers are being used with the intervention programs.

ˇ§Part of The Medical Centerˇ¦s mission is to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve. The walking trail is a testament to our mission,ˇ¨ said Doris C. Thomas, Vice President Marketing/Development and spokesperson for Commonwealth Health Corporation, parent company of The Medical Center. ˇ§We are grateful Kohlˇ¦s partnered with us in fulfilling our mission.ˇ¨

Cheri Smith, principal at Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary School, said, ˇ§The walking trail is such a wonderful addition to the school as well as the community. It would have not been possible without the help from Kohlˇ¦s and The Medical Center. We are so very thankful for the trail and the effort to improve the studentˇ¦s eating habits and physical activity levels.ˇ¨

Kohlˇ¦s commitment to The Medical Center is made possible through Kohlˇ¦s Cares for Kids„µ. Net profits from the sale of special merchandise supports childrenˇ¦s health and education; through 2006 Kohlˇ¦s has raised more than $85 million for such initiatives nationwide. The program also includes the Kohlˇ¦s Kids Who Care„µ Scholarship Program for youth volunteers, fundraising gift cards for local schools and nonprofit groups, and an associate program to encourage volunteerism.

Based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, Kohlˇ¦s is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced national, exclusive and private brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. A company committed to the communities it serves, Kohlˇ¦s operates 834 stores in 46 states and has raised more than $85 million for childrenˇ¦s initiatives nationwide through its Kohlˇ¦s Cares for Kids„µ philanthropic program. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.kohls.com.

Commonwealth Health Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Commonwealth Health Corporation (CHC). Commonwealth Health Foundation helps to build relationships and partnerships across Southcentral Kentucky that will inspire charitable giving by individuals, foundations, corporations and organizations. These gifts help support the mission of CHC to care for people and improve the quality of life in the communities it serves. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.chfbg.org or call (270) 796-5543.

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