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The Weekender Saturday, September 26, 2015
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ACRH on solid financial footing Concerns mount in light of Independence losing hospital By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register
The news of the imminent closing of Mercy Hospital in Independence has many rural Kansans on edge as to whether their local hospitals are also in danger. Jay Kretzmeier, an Iola accountant who has served on the board of trustees of Allen County Regional Hospital for five years, can allay those fears for locals, at least for the immediate future. The balance sheet for ACRH is in good standing, he said, verified by an auditor’s
report at Tuesday night’s board meeting. That said, Kretzmeier, who admits being of a nervous temperament, said, “there can be no comfort in rural hospitals, and so we must be vigilant in its maintenance.” So, can he sleep at night? He breaks into a smile. “Yes.” SEVERAL things play into the local hospital’s favor, Kretzmeier said. First, he views it as fortuitous that ACRH is now managed by a local board of trustees after a 28-year relationship with outside entities. In early
LaHarpe starts ball rolling on upgrades
2013, the hospital moved out from the auspices of Hospital Corporation of America. Before that, its management and upkeep was through Health Midwest. Kretzmeier said when he learned of the fate of the Independence hospital, his immediate reaction was to wonder, “would we be in the same position?” if Allen County’s hospital were still under the umbrella of HCA, which is the largest hospital corporation in the United States. “I came up with the answer that we’ll face all kinds of challenges, but at least the residents of Allen County have the ability to determine their hospital’s fate,” and not some outside entity. See HOSPITAL | Page A6
Jay Kretzmeier has served for the past five years on the Allen County Regional Hospital Board of Trustees. REGISTER/RICHARD
LUKEN
CELEBRATING STONEFACE
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
LAHARPE — LaHarpe is applying for as much as $400,000 in state aid to assist the city in upgrading its electric infrastructure. Total project cost would be $830,000, with the remainder coming from revenue generated by electric sales. City Council members voted 4-0 in a special meeting Thursday to go ahead. The application does not mean the city is locked into receiving revenue bonds just yet, Council members stressed. Rather, it’s a component in the city’s application for a $400,000 ComSee LAHARPE | Page A5
Stephen Shafer, a former professor of film studies at the University of Illinois, attends the Buster Keaton Museum tour, in Piqua, Friday morning. The gathering, which attracted more than 20 Keaton fans, was the kick-off event for the 22nd Annual Buster Keaton Celebration. The celebration continues all day today at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. REGISTER/RICK DANLEY
Rep. John Boehner
Boehner announces resignation WASHINGTON (AP) — With Congress in turmoil, House Speaker John Boehner abruptly informed fellow Republicans on Friday that he would resign from Congress at the end of October, stepping aside in the face of hardline conservative opposition that threatens an institutional crisis. The 13-term Ohio Republican, second in line to the presidency, shocked his GOP See BOEHNER | Page A6
Polio eradication nearly done
Hospitals push Medicaid
By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — Several health care organizations in Kansas are banding together in an effort to convince state lawmakers to expand Medicaid. As part of that effort, Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg provided an update on its finances Wednesday, saying it lost about $14 million in both 2013 and 2014 as a result of the state’s decision not to expand Medicaid, the health care program that helps the poor and disabled. Jeff Korsmo, president and CEO of Via Christi, expects the hospital to see the same loss this year, the Wichita Eagle reported. Via Christi officials met last week for a monthly meeting on the hospital’s financial and quality performance. The meeting marked the second month of low financial performance for
By 1979, thanks to development of a vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk in the 1950s, polio was a thing of the past in the United States. That wasn’t true elsewhere, until starting in 1985 when Rotary International met in Kansas City and came away with an ambitious plan to eradicate the dreaded childhood disease worldwide. Iolan Rotarian Richard Chase, then president of the local club, was there, along with Clyde Toland and several others. They listened to details of Polio 2005, the ambitious program to immunize children around the world against polio with an oral vaccine developed by Dr. Albert Sabin in the years after See POLIO | Page A5
A Pakistani girl is given oral polio vaccine, as part of a worldwide Rotary effort to eradicate the disease. ROTARY PHOTO
Quote of the day Vol. 117, No. 211
“The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” — Groucho Marx 75 Cents
Via Christi after a year of financial shortcomings. “In the last week or so, we started rolling up our sleeves hard on this,” Korsmo said. The coalition is pushing Gov. Sam Brownback and the state Legislature to expand Medicaid during next year’s session. It also includes Wesley Healthcare, the University of Kansas Hospital, St. Luke’s Health System, the Kansas Health Foundation and the Kansas Hospital Association. In addition to increasing access to health care, supporters of Medicaid expansion in Kansas believe it would also strengthen the state’s economy and preserve jobs. On Nov. 3, the coalition See MEDICAID | Page A5
Hi: 81 Lo: 57 Iola, KS