54°F
weather icon Clear

Tonopah’s hospital closing town’s top story for 2015

TONOPAH - This year brought many impactful news reports to the Nye County seat of Tonopah. They include in no particular order:

County budget issues impacting many programs such as senior nutrition, the jail and animal control;

The Clines' continued investment in Tonopah with the opening of Tonopah Brewing Company;

The departure of Tonopah Town Manager James Eason;

A recall petition began circulating against Tonopah Town Board Chairman Horace Carlyle;

The passing of Bill Roberts, longtime reporter, columnist and former owner of the Tonopah Times-Bonanza & Goldfield News newspaper.

While the list is not meant to be fully inclusive or ranked in order of importance, one story clearly stands out as being the most impactful, not only in Tonopah but the central Nevada region in general.

The closing of the Nye Regional Medical Center on Aug. 21 left the town without an acute care facility for nearly 100 miles.

The surprise announcement by Center CEO Wayne Allen, said that the closing was necessitated by increasing debt after earlier efforts to save the hospital by arranging partnerships with other health care organizations proved unsuccessful due to the hospital's small size and remote location.

"The hospital operations cannot be sustained any longer with expenses greater than revenues," said Allen when announcing the closing on Aug. 19.

The year had started out promising for the hospital, at least publicly, with the 12-bed facility and clinic beginning to emerge from bankruptcy. In December 2014, the county approved a bankruptcy settlement agreement, a new 20-year lease agreement with a restructured Prime Care Nevada and a distancing from the facility's former director, Dr. Vincent Scoccia.

"This puts the hospital in a very good position to emerge from bankruptcy and to have a sustainable future," said Talitha Gray Kozlowski, a Las Vegas-based attorney hired by the county to work on the bankruptcy.

On Jan. 15, the new hospital administration held its first "health needs assessment community input meeting." In February, Allen, a hospital administration veteran with more than 40 years in the health care industry, was hired to oversee the hospital. But the optimism was short-lived as the financial cracks were starting to resurface.

In April, the county was proposing the establishment of a hospital tax district to bring an influx of cash to what was being openly referred to as a "financially struggling" medical facility. The county had loaned the facility nearly $2.5 million by that time, leveraged against the hospital's assets.

On April 7, Tonopah Town Manager James Eason told the Nye County Commission the medical center was struggling to make payroll. It was estimated at that time the hospital's operators were already $1 million in debt, some of it coming from the inability to collect unpaid medical bills. The county forged ahead with the plan for a tax district it said would bring an estimated $750,000 in tax revenue annually.

Allen publicly pushed forward, holding a community meeting in late May to discuss a "community health assessment" and talk about the center's future. But the future was to be short-lived, despite the county authorizing another $500,000 loan in late July. In that loan request from Prime Care was the caveat to assure continued provision of services by physicians, suppliers and employees through August.

By Aug. 21 the hospital closed, and the accompanying clinic closed Sept. 4, leaving Tonopah, Goldfield and the region without an emergency department, inpatient care, laboratory, radiology, respiratory and outpatient therapies.

"This is a tragic loss for the population served by our hospital," Allen said. "This is a decision that will ultimately jeopardize the health and well-being of our community and surrounding areas. We are hopeful that another health care entity will see this lack of access to health care as an opportunity."

Four months later the building remains closed. However, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

On Tuesday, Nye County commissioners will discuss a possible professional service agreement between the hospital district and Reno-based nonprofit medical services provider Renown Medical Group to "provide professional primary and urgent care services."

Contact Editor Arnold M. Knightly at aknightly@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @KnightlyGrind

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Looking for some family fun for Easter? Hop over to Simkins Park

Anyone looking for a fun, family-friendly festivity to enjoy this holiday can hop on over to Simkins Park to join the Mills family as they celebrate Easter Sunday with worship music, free food and an enormous 14,000-egg hunt that is sure to bring a smile to hundreds of faces.

Campground fees to increase at Death Valley National Park

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. — Visitors to Death Valley National Park can expect a slight increase in entrance fees for various campgrounds beginning on May 1.

Clerk staffer Cori Freidhof appointed interim leader

Nye County Clerk Mark Kampf’s time in office officially comes to a close on March 31 and deputy clerk Cori Freidhof has now been selected to assume that vacated seat. Freidhof will take over the office as of Monday, April 1 and fulfill the unexpired term ending Jan. 1, 2027.

Gaming can have impact on us

When does gaming cross the line from recreational relaxation to problematic behavior? How do video games and gambling relate? What resources are available for those who find themselves struggling to control their relationship with video games and gambling?

County eyeing impact fee increases

The cost to develop in Pahrump could go up, with a public hearing on a proposal to raise local impact fees set for next month.

Here’s who filed as political candidates in Nye County

Locals have filed their political candidacy as of March 15 and this year two major offices in Nye County will be up for grabs in the general election. Nye County residents have to first narrow down their preferred party candidate on June 11 in the primary and then vote in November to support their preferred candidates.

Second Source donation for Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Nye County Sleep in Heavenly Peace is now better off thanks to a second donation from The Source dispensary’s Round Up program.

Beatty riled by sheriff’s substation closure

Lone staffer will be relocated to Pahrump to help with workload there; be onsite in Beatty just once a month.

Sales tax question headed to the ballot

Road conditions in the Pahrump Valley are a sore point for many drivers as well as a source of frustration for the crews dedicated to maintaining them but with only so many road dollars to go around, it can be hard to keep pace with the demand.