Hospital seeks more funding

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Weston County Health Services has submitted another $10,195,666 in CARES Act funding in grants through the State Loan and Investment Board, according to CEO Maureen Cadwell. Since the act was passed in March, the facility reports receiving $4,024,739 in funding to date. 
On May 5, Rep. Tyler Lindholm, R-Sundance, told the Weston County commissioners that the CARES Act was passed by the federal government and provided $1.25 billion dollars to the state of Wyoming with the intended purpose of providing aid to the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wyoming Legislature later established several avenues for using the funds, including grants for both hospitals and small businesses affected by the pandemic. 
According to Cadwell, the facility recently submitted four project grant proposals to the SLIB board after the WCHS board of trustees approved the projects. 
“The first project would be adding an isolation room, or negative pressure room. We currently have one, and this would be thinking about what we would go through if we have people we needed to segregate and isolate,” Cadwell said. “This actually has a minimal cost because of the remodel and would involve altering the HVAC system of those rooms.” 
Updating the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning for those rooms would cost about $62,000, the facility’s executive assistant Denice Pisciotti reported. 
WCHS has also requested $868,666 to upgrade the HVAC system in the Weston County Manor’s older rooms. Cadwell said that these rooms were not done during the recently completed upgrade and remodel to the facility. 
“Right now, these rooms have the air systems, but this would upgrade the system and improve the air quality in the nursing home. Hopefully these upgrades would disallow the movement of viruses and other airborne containments,” Cadwell said. 
In addition to this Manor project, the facility applied for $9 million for what Cadwell called “a wish more than anything.”
“This would look into changing all of the rooms in the Manor to private by building a separate structure to the west of us. This building would create approximately 24 additional rooms for the nursing home,” Cadwell said. “This would be a separate building but allow for all Manor rooms to be private.”
She noted that this wish is something the board is not banking on receiving, but something they figured they might as well try for. 
Last, but not least, WCHS applied for $265,000 in grants to upgrade the basement for overflow beds in the case of an increase in patients. 
“We are looking at remodeling the old kitchen space in the basement to be used for overflow of hospital patients. This would increase our beds by six, the room would be open and the beds would be separated by curtains,” she said.
According to Cadwell, the project would involve piping in oxygen to allow for support-type services. Updates to the sprinkler system and bathrooms would also be needed. 
“This would not require a significant amount of spending, but there would be some remodel involved,” Cadwell said. 
Cadwell noted that the $10,195,666 in requests is an addition to the $4,024,739 the facility has already received in CARES Act funds. The money has been used by the facility to pay for things directly associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. 
“We’ve gotten CARES money that is in our bank account. We have basically been accounting for staff time in preparation of the pandemic, working with the patients and residents to ensure they are taken care of and doing everything we can to treat this,” Cadwell said. “We are accounting for that time, above and beyond our normal duties, and purchasing things like personal protective equipment and other supplies.” 
She stated that the money has been set aside but is being used by the facility. 
“So far, we have probably spent around $2.7 million of that in staff time and other supply purchases,” Cadwell said. 
At the time of publication, an answer on the grant requests had not been received by Weston County Health Services. Cadwell said that the SLIB board meets on Aug. 6 and the facility should receive an answer that day.