Pawhuska Hospital, Inc.

PROJECT PURPOSE

The purpose is to replace the aging and outdated Pawhuska Hospital with a new 25 bed, state of the art, Critical Access Hospital that will meet the healthcare needs now and in the future. The current building with 17 beds, opened in 1965, and was updated in 1977. There are two main reasons to replace for replacement. First, the physical plant has come to the end of its useful life. Costs of repairs, maintenance, additions, and updating for new technology or ADA compliance would far exceed any realized or useful value. Second, the hospital is bursting at the seams. There are literally staff using storage rooms as offices. The hospital board would like to add services such as diagnostic procedures, dialysis, behavioral health, and additional primary care. There is no space within the current footprint for any expansion at all. Over the last five years the average daily census has grown from less than four patients, to over 14. Unfortunately, there are times when the hospital is unable to admit patients because it is full. Discussions are ongoing with the Osage Nation to assure hospital services complement their healthcare programs and help meet the needs of their members.

EVIDENCE

According to the Health Resources and Services Administration?s booklet Critical Access Hospital Prototype, ?Hospitals by nature are complex, technically sophisticated, and mechanically intensive structures that are expensive to build and maintain?. The booklet goes on to say ?Many of the hospitals that have received CAH (Critical Access Hospital) certification operate in facilities that require replacement or renovation. It has been demonstrated that more often than not it is less expensive to replace old hospitals that do not meet existing building codes than to renovate them?.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

According to the American Community Survey of the 2020 US Census, Osage County has 2,246 square miles and is the largest county in Oklahoma. The total population of 48,818 with a median income of $49,103 (roughly $5,000 below the state average) and a 50.2% employment rate. 12.4% of the population are without healthcare insurance, and 15.6% live in poverty. Osage County is home to the Osage Nation and there are 6,555 Native Americans in the county. Osage county has had to date 7,218 Covid cases and 132 deaths. Covid had drastic impacts on healthcare and showed that the aging Pawhuska hospital was barely up to the task of caring for its patients.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Project performance will be measured by: 1. Timely completion of construction and transfer of patients as determined by the state of Oklahoma, 2. Successful compliance with state and federal licensure and quality surveys, 3. Achieving targeted outpatient visits and inpatient average daily census.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma