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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL LIMBS From page 1R Warner Robins.” At the current location most residents of Peach County are within 10 miles of the hospital. Peed said “the new location is centrally located, where the growth is going, midway where every one is.” She noted the hospital also serves Taylor and Crawford counties, which do not have their own hospitals. At the new location, according to the opposition document, the southern and westernmost portion would no longer be within 10 miles. The proposed relocation would also remove Peach Regional Hospital from the Fort Valley ZIP code 31030, the area where it draws the most patents by far (about 75 percent), according to the document filed by Houston Healthcare. Peed said the approxi mately 69,000 square-foot facility would cost about $22 million. It would be about 20,000 square feet larger than the existing hospital in Fort Valley, which was built in 1954. Peed said the $22 million price tag included everything - land construc tion, plans, new equipment - eveiything.” “We’re running out of space in the emergency room, physical therapy, car diac rehab, X-ray,” Peed said. “The nice new hospital and equipment,” she said would be a draw for current to make the longer drive and for new patients currently served elsewhere. She said the new location would not be in competi tion with Houston Medical Center for staff, but “the location would help attract the specialists we need to supplement our medical staff.” In its objection, Houston Healthcare noted Clinch Memorial Hospital is build ing a 25-bed, 57,000-square foot replacement hospital for about sl2 million. At 69,000 square feet, Peach exceeds the 57, 000- square-foot federal planning guideline for at 25-bed criti cal access hospital. Peach’s costs are also significantly higher than the Clinch hos- COUNTY From page 1A voted to release mainte nance bond on six subdi visions, contingent on any required work being com pleted by July 26. The subdi visions are The Rydings, sec tion 1, phase 2; The Rydings, section 2, Mill Pond, sec tion 5, phase 3; Savannah Square; and The Meadow at Riverbend, section 1. The Commission also accepted a $3,500 wellness grant from the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia to assist the county in implementing a wellness component to its health plan. Commissioner Jay Walker explained the grant is seed money to “implement a pro gram to educate employees in ways to improve their general overall wellbeing” and help lower county health insurance costs.’ During the public com ment portion of the meeting Kathy Brown asked when sidewalks would be complet ed along Feagin Mill Road, noting it was part of the 2001 special purpose local option sales tax projects. “I wish these sidewalks were a priority,” she said. Commission Chairman Ned Sanders said the county his started the purchase of rights of way now on about 250 parcels. “If it’s done a year from now, we’ll be lucky,” he said. The design for the road widening project, which included the sidewalks, is finished. Brown asked if the side walks could be put in before the road. She was told no. Sidewalks along the west side of Houston Lake Road between Feagin Mill and Lake Joy roads may be com ing sooner. pital for construction costs (72 percent), cost per square foot (54 percent), total cost per bed (87 percent) and total cost per average daily census (150 percent). Houston Healthcare argued in the objection, Peach does not need a 25- bed hospital today nor in the future,” with aver ages patients projected to decrease, based on its own application. - There were also concerns about the Peach Hospital Authority ability to pay back the $22 million loan. “Peach still faces the. fund We believe that life is an open l oad full of “scenic overlooks” We’re Windstream Communications O Your new, fast moving, fresh thinking local phone company driven by a rich history of tradition and reliability. We’re here to help you get the most out of your journey in life. No matter where it takes you. Phone. Broadband. Digital TV. We bring it all home. So, hop on. Grow places. ing requirements associ ated with its frozen pen sion plan,” according to the objection document, with a net pension obligation in fis cal year 2005 of over $1 mil lion and unfunded actuarial accrued liability of more than $2 million. The number of days cash on hand, according to the objection, is expected to drop to less than 20 days, creat ing “a constant challenge of making payroll and funding accounts payable.” In the objection it was also noted Peach’s creditworthi ness report from May of this LOCAL There were also concerns about the Peach Hospital Authority ability to pay back the $22 mHlkm loan. "Peach still laces the funding requirements associated with Its frozen pension plan," according to the objection document, with a net pension obligation in fiscal year 2005 of over $1 million and unfunded actuarial accrued liability of more than $2 million. year “indicates payments suppliers average 78 days beyond terms. When dollar amounts are not considered, approximately 25 percent of the company’s payments are within terms.” Houston Healthcare has filed its own certificates of need for expansion plans, at about $74 million for phase one, which includes 20 new beds, a 102-bed tower and an energy plant. The master site plan through 2025 includes two SATURDAY, JULY 22, 2006 more towers, parking expan sion and expansion for ancil lary services, the women’s center and outpatient ser vices, all on the campus bor dered by Watson Boulevard, Sunset Drive, Briarcliff Road and Hospital Drive. 7A