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| Kenneth Possinger, maintenance mechanic at Shands Lake Shore Hospital, calibrates a new medical vacuum pump that powers surgical suction device. According to a facilities assessment report, $8 million worth of necessary equipment and upgrades are needed over the next 17 years to keep the hospital running at an optimal level. JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter |
Hospital Authority forecasts for the future
By TONY BRITT
tbritt@lakecityreporter.com
A Shands Lake Shore Hospital facilities assessment report has identified more than $8 million worth of needed equipment and facility systems enhancements over the next 17 years to keep the hospital operating at an optimal level, the report says.
The facilities’ plan calls for almost $3 million worth of renovation work in the first year. Each year after, for 16 years, the suggested amount of funding for renovation work would be reduced.
The first year of the plan comes with a $2,833,976 price tag, based on projects listed in the TLC Engineering facilities report commissioned by the Lake Shore Hospital Authority Board.
“The purpose of the report was to give us a true evaluation of exactly what condition this hospital is in right now facilitywise,” said Lake Shore Hospital Authority Board chairman Jack Berry, noting the board is trying to create a master plan for the facility. “We’re getting ready to do a master plan for five, 10, 15 and 20 years to see exactly where we’re at and what we’re projecting costs to be down the road.”
The facilities assessment report was done by TLC Engineering, an engineering firm from Jacksonville. The last facilities assessment for the Lake Shore Hospital Authority Board was performed more than 10 years ago.
“The engineering firm that was selected is a very professional firm that does a lot of hospital construction,” said Shands Director of Construction Services and Facilities Development Ed Lenhart. “They’re known throughout Florida, and the country for knowing how this works. Their numbers are as good as you’re going to get based on what they do. They’re putting together numbers based on their catalogs and books. Actual conditions could go up or down, but these are really best guess guidelines for replacement costs.”
Lenhart said the information contained in the report is important to helping Authority Board members make informed decisions about the hospital. He said the assessment provides the parameters and lets the board know that renovation work will not cost more than new projects.
“Probably the most important thing is telling the hospital authority the condition of their hospital, where they stand today, what they oughta be planning for over the next 17 years to keep this building up and running in good shape and also how to fix some of the deficiencies they have,” Lenhart said. “More importantly, this report tells them if they want to expand or do any renovations to this hospital these are the limiting factors.”
“This facilities assessment report gives us a true evaluation of what we’ve got at the present time and what the capabilities are of that facility,” Berry added. “We don’t have concerns with what we’ve got. Actually, the report came out better than we thought it would.”
With plans in hand
The TLC Engineering Firm Facility Assessment report is a 34-page document with supporting document used in helping come up with the report’s findings. It also contains a consolidated maintenance report, a spread sheet detailing the capital equipment replacement costs for selected equipment for 2009-2023 in the main hospital.
The report is designed to describe the current condition of the hospital and its systems and provide a road map for budgeting for future repairs and replacements.
The report also included the conversion of semi-private patient rooms to private rooms, expansion of the ICU from nine beds to 24 beds and the addition of a new wing to the west end of the hospital as part of the evaluation.
The report states the existing mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems are not sized and configured to support a western expansion without major impact to existing conditions.
Lenhart said officials understand the fiscal constraints associated with the renovation work, and they also realize it would not be feasible to follow the plans to the letter by closing hospital rooms just to complete suggested renovations during the hospital’s busy season.
A meeting is being planned where hospital authority officials can sit with TLC Engineer representatives and members of Lenhart’s maintenance director staff to look at the list and realistically address what could be done each year and to also determine annual priorities.
“We have enough funds right now that we can accomplish any necessities that happen to come up,” Berry said.
The facilities assessment report only addresses the current Lake Shore Hospital site and building. There has been no major renovation work done at the hospital in the last 20 years.
Berry said hospital authority board members are taking the report seriously.
“We’re giving this report about 100 percent weight, but we may not do it in the same timeline they have,” Berry said, noting the board is considering following the plan’s suggestions. “ Our budget constraints may not allow us to do it as rapidly in some instances.”
Berry said he and Lenhart are working on a spread sheet of how they are going to attack the problem.
“We’ll present that plan either in January or February of how we are going to attack this problem,” Berry said. “We have fiscal restraints — we don’t want to dump out all of our reserves into this. By the time the next tax cycle comes around, we should have a pretty good idea of where we’re going and the funds we’re going to need to get there and how we are going to fund it.”
Berry said it’s going to take a lot of planning to make the suggested renovation work become a reality.
“What we’re trying to do is prevent a situation where AHCA (Agency for Health Care Administration) comes in here saying they’re going to shut this hospital down,” Berry said. “We don’t want that to happen. ... My objective is to get a master plan in place and we’ll know exactly what is expected of this board over the next 20 years to bring this up to a modern day facility — that’s what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Both Berry and Lenhart, say finding the funding for the suggested renovation work will be another issue which has to be addressed by the hospital authority board.
“That’s part of the planning process,” Berry said. “We’re doing this to stay functional and not be in crisis management.”
The facilities’ plan calls for almost $3 million worth of renovation work in the first year. Each year after, for 16 years, the suggested amount of funding for renovation work would be reduced.
The first year of the plan comes with a $2,833,976 price tag, based on projects listed in the TLC Engineering facilities report commissioned by the Lake Shore Hospital Authority Board.
“The purpose of the report was to give us a true evaluation of exactly what condition this hospital is in right now facilitywise,” said Lake Shore Hospital Authority Board chairman Jack Berry, noting the board is trying to create a master plan for the facility. “We’re getting ready to do a master plan for five, 10, 15 and 20 years to see exactly where we’re at and what we’re projecting costs to be down the road.”
The facilities assessment report was done by TLC Engineering, an engineering firm from Jacksonville. The last facilities assessment for the Lake Shore Hospital Authority Board was performed more than 10 years ago.
“The engineering firm that was selected is a very professional firm that does a lot of hospital construction,” said Shands Director of Construction Services and Facilities Development Ed Lenhart. “They’re known throughout Florida, and the country for knowing how this works. Their numbers are as good as you’re going to get based on what they do. They’re putting together numbers based on their catalogs and books. Actual conditions could go up or down, but these are really best guess guidelines for replacement costs.”
Lenhart said the information contained in the report is important to helping Authority Board members make informed decisions about the hospital. He said the assessment provides the parameters and lets the board know that renovation work will not cost more than new projects.
“Probably the most important thing is telling the hospital authority the condition of their hospital, where they stand today, what they oughta be planning for over the next 17 years to keep this building up and running in good shape and also how to fix some of the deficiencies they have,” Lenhart said. “More importantly, this report tells them if they want to expand or do any renovations to this hospital these are the limiting factors.”
“This facilities assessment report gives us a true evaluation of what we’ve got at the present time and what the capabilities are of that facility,” Berry added. “We don’t have concerns with what we’ve got. Actually, the report came out better than we thought it would.”
With plans in hand
The TLC Engineering Firm Facility Assessment report is a 34-page document with supporting document used in helping come up with the report’s findings. It also contains a consolidated maintenance report, a spread sheet detailing the capital equipment replacement costs for selected equipment for 2009-2023 in the main hospital.
The report is designed to describe the current condition of the hospital and its systems and provide a road map for budgeting for future repairs and replacements.
The report also included the conversion of semi-private patient rooms to private rooms, expansion of the ICU from nine beds to 24 beds and the addition of a new wing to the west end of the hospital as part of the evaluation.
The report states the existing mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems are not sized and configured to support a western expansion without major impact to existing conditions.
Lenhart said officials understand the fiscal constraints associated with the renovation work, and they also realize it would not be feasible to follow the plans to the letter by closing hospital rooms just to complete suggested renovations during the hospital’s busy season.
A meeting is being planned where hospital authority officials can sit with TLC Engineer representatives and members of Lenhart’s maintenance director staff to look at the list and realistically address what could be done each year and to also determine annual priorities.
“We have enough funds right now that we can accomplish any necessities that happen to come up,” Berry said.
The facilities assessment report only addresses the current Lake Shore Hospital site and building. There has been no major renovation work done at the hospital in the last 20 years.
Berry said hospital authority board members are taking the report seriously.
“We’re giving this report about 100 percent weight, but we may not do it in the same timeline they have,” Berry said, noting the board is considering following the plan’s suggestions. “ Our budget constraints may not allow us to do it as rapidly in some instances.”
Berry said he and Lenhart are working on a spread sheet of how they are going to attack the problem.
“We’ll present that plan either in January or February of how we are going to attack this problem,” Berry said. “We have fiscal restraints — we don’t want to dump out all of our reserves into this. By the time the next tax cycle comes around, we should have a pretty good idea of where we’re going and the funds we’re going to need to get there and how we are going to fund it.”
Berry said it’s going to take a lot of planning to make the suggested renovation work become a reality.
“What we’re trying to do is prevent a situation where AHCA (Agency for Health Care Administration) comes in here saying they’re going to shut this hospital down,” Berry said. “We don’t want that to happen. ... My objective is to get a master plan in place and we’ll know exactly what is expected of this board over the next 20 years to bring this up to a modern day facility — that’s what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Both Berry and Lenhart, say finding the funding for the suggested renovation work will be another issue which has to be addressed by the hospital authority board.
“That’s part of the planning process,” Berry said. “We’re doing this to stay functional and not be in crisis management.”
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