Residents encouraged to participate in hospital planning process
Civic, business, and community leaders will have an opportunity to participate in a strategic planning process with Marion County Hospital District #1.
A planning consultant will be in Marion Feb. 22 and 23 to begin a market assessment, said Thom Smith, chief executive officer of St. Luke Hospital & Living Center.
"I'm not sure who will be asked to serve on the planning committee," Smith said, but encouraged anyone interested in serving to contact Smith or Gene Winkler, board chairman.
"This plan will give the board and hospital direction for the next three to five years," Smith said.
Smith said it was important to include residents throughout the hospital district.
The planning consultation is part of the district's contract with Quorum Health Resources.
"Banner HealthSystems did this at a corporate level," Smith said. "Now that the hospital district is independent, a new plan needs to be made with a vision for the future."
The strategic planning process will be completed in four phases: process design, market assessment, strategy development, and implementation.
Phase one has begun and is near completion with phase two being collection of community and district data, analysis, and interviews with stakeholders.
The market assessment will serve as the foundation for subsequent strategy development.
Smith said implementation of the plan will be followed.
"We will make sure the district is meeting the time lines and objectives of the plan," he said.
The plan will be reviewed on an annual basis. It also will be reviewed when two new directors are elected to the board in May.
For more information contact Smith at the hospital, (620) 382-2177 or Winkler at (620) 382-2115.
Smith is excited about the planning process and appreciates the experience the consulting firm has for hospital planning.
"Quorum specifically does strategic planning for hospitals and health care providers," Smith said. "They are consultants to smaller hospitals and communities.
"They have a good idea of the challenges of smaller communities," he added.
