New Fulton hospital gets federal grant

October 09, 1999|By RICHARD F. BELISLE

McCONNELLSBURG, Pa. - Fulton County has inched closer to building a new $20 million hospital with receipt of a $250,000 federal grant for design work, a Fulton County Medical Center spokeswoman said this week.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was awarded through U.S. Rep. Bud Shuster's office, said Melissa Randler, director of marketing and community relations for the hospital.

Randler said hospital officials knew they were going to get the money a year ago, but thought it could be used only for construction. She said Shuster, R-Pa., worked it out with U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., so the hospital could spend it on architect's fees.

She said the building and planning committee of the hospital's board of directors will pick an architect from two firms submitting proposals.

In October 1998, Shuster told hospital executives that additional federal grants were being sought, including $8 million from the Department of Agriculture. Included in that money is $7 million from the department's Rural Community Advancement Program.

There was no word on when or if those grants would be announced.

Fulton County Medical Center is a nonprofit community hospital run by a local board of directors. It opened 50 years ago and has undergone several expansions since, the last in 1992.

Robert B. Murray III, chief executive officer of the hospital, has said plans for a replacement hospital have been in the works since 1991. A master plan was finished in 1995. Money to build it will come from grants, loans and donations. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2001.

A 20-acre tract on Old U.S. 30 in Todd Township has been donated for the new hospital by D.A. "Andy" Washabaugh and his wife, Joyce.

Today the hospital has 43 acute care beds and 57 nursing home beds. Plans for the new hospital call for the same number of acute care beds, 100 nursing home beds and sufficient space to triple outpatient service, Randler said.

The new facility will require hiring 30 new employees. About 240 workers staff the hospital today. The existing hospital can no longer serve the needs of the growing community, Randler said.

"It's too small. There is no room for new programs," said Randler, who shares with a co-worker an office converted from a closet.

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