Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

JPs Look At Rehab Center For Co. Hospital Building

Nevada County JPs agreed Monday night to look further into entering into a contract with Red River Healtchare Management Co. and putting the former Nevada County Hospital back into limited operation again.

E.J. Stoller, acting on behalf of Security Healtchare Trust and its investors, presented the group with a letter and directions the two need to head in at a special called meeting of the quorum court in which several members of the Nevada County Hospital board were also present.

Stoller told the group his investors and "new money" would be interested in opening a rehab unit in the hospital, and seek a hospital from within the state to open the emergency room and possibly an intensive care unit. Both would require a minimum number of acute care beds be available.

The unknown is the problem the JPs and Stoller face in the proposal.

Stoller told JPs it is exactly unknown what will be required from the state and federal agencies to open a rehab unit, or if they can even get a license to operate.

He said there were some requirements from the State Health Department, but what would have to be exactly followed is also an unknown.

An engineer is needed to make certain determinations on the building. What determinations those are is also unknown as well as the fees for the job and who will pay for the engineer's work.

Stoller did tell JPs of the benefits of the unit - which has proposed 40 to 70 full-time equivalent employ-ees with an estimated payroll of $1 to $2 million annully.

Jobs and services would again be provided to the community with the investments of Security Healthcare Trust according to Stoller.

Stoller did say the concept of a rehabilitation hospital was more feasible now, especially in southwest Arkansas where the two closest would be found in Little Rock and Hot Springs.

JPs agreed to find out what is required in getting a license as well what exactly will be required to get opened and into a contract with Stoller and his investors.

Stoller was told the county had no money to invest in the venture and could offer little, if any, financial assistance.

Stoller said his investors would not be willing to put up all the expenses of just determining if it is able to even make its initial investment.

Stoller was asked if his investors or company had a financial statement the county could see.

He said only the investors could release their financial statements.