The Sweetwater County Commissioners received an update about Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County’s lab expansion and renovation project, while seeking to reallocate $500,000 in county funds for the project.
Initially, the hospital proposed two projects for funding through the State Loans and Investments board, which is made up of the top five elected officials in the state.
Along with the lab remodel and expansion, hospital administrators hoped to fund a renovation of the hospital’s Medical Office Building entrance. Prior to the December SLIB meeting, Interim Secretary of State Karl Allred visited the hospital and spoke with administrators about the two projects. Irene Richardson, CEO of the hospital, said Allred asked if the hospital could do without one of the projects, which resulted in the administration focusing on the lab expansion and renovation. SLIB approved a grant for that project during its December meeting.
The commissioners provided $3 million in matching funds for both projects last year, which administrators divided by moving $2.5 million to the lab and the other $500,000 to the MOB renovation.
As the MOB project was postponed, Richardson asked commissioners if the hospital could use the $500,000 it initially allocated to the MOB to the lab project.
“We wanted to come to you in good faith and request that from all of you,” Richardson said.
The request was approved by the commissioners unanimously.
“We allocated $3 million and I don’t think we specified otherwise than it would be used for matching grants,” Commissioner Island Richards said.
“In researching the budget prior to taking office … I do believe that was the intent of the prior commission,” Commissioner Robb Slaughter said. “The hospital is certainly one of our prized assets in the county and we certainly need to be a cooperating partner with the hospital.”
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