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USDA Commits to Finance New SRMC Extended Care

SIDNEY — Sidney Regional Medical Center (SRMC) received confirmation from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development approving financing for 40 years at 2.5% interest to fund a new extended care facility in Sidney.

“There are many steps to a project of this size and the USDA Rural Development approval for financial support is a major step toward ensuring SRMC’s goal to build a new state of the art extended care facility for our community,” said Jason Petik, Chief Executive Officer for SRMC. “Building this new facility will provide up-to-date features and technologies, that promote safety and a comfortable living environment. SRMC Extended Care currently has a 5-star rating from Medicare.”

The current extended care facility was built in 1961. There are many reasons this project makes sense including:

• The outdated floor plan makes it challenging for residents and family to walk to where they want to go.

• A new facility increases our ability to recruit caregivers for our residents and ultimately employers in our community by expanding and improving available healthcare services.

• A new facility is designed to enhance efficiencies through a layout that improves the residents and families’ experiences.

• The design of the building will support a phased expansion as dictated by future demand.

The new proposed extended care facility will be located west of the current hospital and will feature single-story, household concept (image 2). This design concept promotes efficient movement throughout the facility for both residents and their care-giving staff. The 44,500 square feet facility will be located on a 10-acre site next to the hospital. An enclosed connection has also been incorporated into the design so residents and staff may travel directly to the hospital for patient care and support as needed.

“We were happy to learn of the USDA’s support, this initiative strengthens the organization’s vision to be the regional healthcare system of choice” stated Bill Pile, Chairman of the Board of Directors for SRMC.

The building project is projected to cost $19 million. A key piece to this proposal was securing the long-term financing commitment from the National USDA Office who have approved permanent financing of 12 million dollars for the project at a fixed 2.5% rate. The remaining 7 million dollars will be a combination of a capital campaign in conjunction with a cash investment from SRMC to round out funding for the project.

The Board of Directors is committed to providing these much-needed services to the community and believe this is the best way to do this. No tax dollars are received from the city or the county for this or for any other hospital, clinic, or emergency services.

The next steps for this project are to finalize the architectural design and secure bids from contractors. Once accomplished, announcements will be made about the groundbreaking ceremony and timeline for completion.

 

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