IOLA, KANSAS
OFFICE OF THE ALLEN COUNTY CLERK
May 22, 2007
The Allen County Board of Commissioners met in regular
session at 8:30 a.m. with Chairperson Kent Thompson, Commissioner Walt
Regehr Jr., Commissioner Dick Works, and Sherrie L. Riebel, County Clerk.
Bruce Symes, Iola Register representative, was present
to observe the meeting.
Commissioners corrected and approved the minutes of the
May 15, 2007 meeting.
Thomas R. Williams, Allen County Sheriff, presented
Taser information to the commission in paper form.
Bill King, Public Works Director, reported there are
demo track hoes at the landfill this week.
Bill reported dust abatement would begin soon.
Bill reported the drill at the quarry is still down.
Commissioners requested Bill to get a bid for smooth
seal on certain streets.
Cara Barkdoll, Register of Deeds, discussed the vacated
position in her office. She is filling it with a current Allen County
employee.
Commissioner Works moved to appoint Susan Jones to
serve on the Tri-Valley Developmental Services. Commissioner Thompson
seconded, motion passed 3-0-0.
Commissioner Thompson discussed a need for the
conference room for a one-week hearing for Ken Nelson and MSHA. Discussion
followed.
Commissioners denied the request to use the assembly
room for an employee’s personal use.
Sheriff Williams discussed his reserve program. He
introduced his Reserve Officers: Travis Baughn, Rick Riley, Terry Johnson,
Secretary, and Dan Drosseler. He stated there are three more that could
not attend the meeting; they are Justin Zirkle, Treasurer, Trevor Shannon,
and Darrell Baughn, Lt. He reported Shannon Moore and Bryan Murphy are the
liaison leaders. Sheriff Williams has hired three part time deputies, in
place of one full time deputy; they are Jared Froggatte, Harry Holloway,
and Vanessa Hamm
Sheriff Williams discussed some facts on tasers, which
were in the papers presented earlier. Discussion continued.
Lloyd Wayne Turner, City of LaHarpe Mayor, discussed
using the LaHarpe Senior Center as a library for the senior usage. Gene
Clark and Ruth Jackson would be unpaid caretakers. Mr. Turner discussed
ideas for the library, donations and contributions. He said the City of
LaHarpe would probably help with utilities and upkeep. Commissioners will
highly consider this request.
Paul Sorenson discussed the Senior Center on Jefferson.
He discussed some donated items for the Senior Center. He will have the
Senior Center Board meet and prioritize the request list. Commissioner
Thompson discussed the curbing at the center.
Commissioner Works discussed a letter from Red Cross
requesting to list the Humboldt Senior Center as a disaster relief area
for use of the kitchen. Discussion followed. Commissioners approved the
request.
Barbara Chalker, Iola Area Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director, presented new area maps to the commission.
Bill Maness, City of Iola Mayor, D. J. Dangerfield,
Bill Walden, both Iola Pharmacy personnel, Bill Shirley, City of Iola
Commissioner, Tim Spears, M.D., Judy Brigham, City of Iola Administrator,
David Jackson, Heather Curry, Jim Gilpin, Michael Ford, City of Iola
Police Officer, Barbara Chalker, Iola Area Chamber of Commerce, Susan
Lynn, Iola Register Editor, Susan Raines, Bowlus Director, Nancy Maier,
John McRae, Frank Porter, M.D., Elaine Dugan, EMS Director, and Alan
Weber, Allen County Counselor, were present to represent the advisory
board and share any update.
Susan reported they have had a tour of the hospital.
Dr. Spears elaborated on pros and cons of the tour. He mentioned items for
current image and perceptions: outdated equipment, outdated services, not
enough room to offer better out patient services, old and behind current
medical advances, seen as a place to go die, back of building facing
public, no real legacy or heritage, places of rust because of age.
Also a new hospital would provide good image and
perceptions: latest technology equipment (radiology, emergency room,
nursing and pharmacy), more room to offer more outpatient services,
newness will bring freshness back to the Allen County Medical field,
legacy and heritage.
Dr. Spears discussed current space situations: patient
rooms are small and often shared, small bathrooms without shower
occupancy, very little patient privacy, no real birthing suites in OB,
only room for three mothers in the OB department and Nursery can handle
only six babies, surgery and OB share a waiting room, not enough room for
these two departments, OB family often found standing in the hallway
because not enough space, radiology and ER share a waiting room, two
different types of patients waiting with mixed anxieties, ER has no place
for the chaplain/doctors to deliver bad news to the family, ultrasound
room 8X12 too small for couple to see images of a baby, only two surgery
suites, emergency room has three rooms, and three bays with curtain
dividers, current ER triage is in what used to be a closet, Oncology day
clinic very cramped and cancer patients have seemed to increase along with
the outpatient injections, no waiting room for Oncology day clinic, no
privacy in this department also, ICU has three bays with curtain dividers
very little privacy, semi-private rooms only 12X16, pharmacy running out
of space and very cramped, barely 797 compliant, pharmacy smells like
sewer (linkage from radiology spills on to pharmacy equipment), has
flooded pharmacy basement in the past, need to clean room (place for
pharmacist to prepare tpn’s and chemo’s), no real room to expand
current hospital situation.
A new hospital would provide: patient rooms can be
equipped to be single occupancy with a shower in the room, birthing suites
can be built big enough so that the patient would deliver and stay in the
same room during their visit, OB have its own waiting room/space for
families to comfortably wait on their new arrival, surgery have its own
waiting room/space for concerned families, more surgery suites so we can
recruit a full time surgeon, Radiology have its own waiting room/space,
Emergency Room have its own waiting room/space, Emergency Room have bigger
rooms and more of them, Emergency Room have a bigger triage room, Oncology
have its own waiting room/space, Oncology room would be big enough to
handle its current patient load, ICU have rooms and a bigger space,
Pharmacy have more space along with clean room to become 797 compliant,
more room for future expansion.
They discussed employee morale/future recruiting
current situations: good employees recruited to newer facilities with
better technology, younger employees trained in new facilities do not want
to come and work in an outdated facility, very few major companies will
come into a community with outdated medical care, current hospital doesn’t
seem be marketed.
A new hospital moral/future recruiting: younger
employees will stay based on latest technology and cutting edge outpatient
service offered, younger employees will have a local hospital with big
city qualities, when companies are looking for a community to place their
business, we can show them a hospital we are proud of, a new hospital will
create a buzz in this community that is much needed.
Susan discussed a feasibility study. She presented some
CPA firms that can do a feasibility study for Allen County.
Mike Ellis, Allen County Hospital Administrator,
explained they provide quality health care. He explained several of the
nurses have had the opportunity to leave but has stayed. A new doctor has
been in contact to look. He explained it is the negative publicity that is
giving the hospital a bad name not the quality. Discussion continued. As
Administrator he represents ACH.
D.J. Dangerfield stated as leaders of the community,
people should look at the opportunity to build for the future.
Several individuals stated their opinions. Discussion
followed. David Jackson presented a letter of community support from about
15 persons to have the county do a feasibility study.
Commissioners advised Alan to call and get quotes from
business that does this type of study.
Alan reported the Consolidated Law Enforcement
committee would be going to Riley County to review their set up for
Consolidated Law Enforcement on June 18, 2007.
Commissioners approved the following documents:
Clerk's Vouchers totaling $ 192462.72
Clerk's Journal Entries #46-47
Payroll Changes
Escape-RE Value 8643, $1283.10, Year 2005
With no further business to come before the board, the
meeting was adjourned until May 29, 2007 at 8:30 a.m. in the Commission
room of the courthouse.
