New CEO has big plans for ELEAH
Tom Kooiman, the new CEO of ELEAH Medical Center in Elbow Lake, has hit the ground running and has ambitious plans.

“These are exciting times for ELEAH,” he said, adding that there are a number of challenges ELEAH is facing at this time that will define its future.

First and foremost to many of his patients, is the inevitable retirement of Dr. Larry Rapp. Kooiman said Dr. Rapp has indicated to the ELEAH Medical Center Board of Directors his intention to cut back on his workload and completely retire within four years.

“We are engaged in the process of recruiting someone to take over for him,” explained Kooiman.

Even more pressing is a new federal mandate that all medical records be electronically stored and digital. ELEAH has selected a vendor to make the huge change in their facility with all new hardware and software, but it will cost around $600,000.

“We plan to start the process of upgrading every computer from the nursing stations, to reception and billing, in the next three months. The hardware is expensive but licensing the software is even more expensive.”

ELEAH Medical Center is also upgrading its Emergency Department from Basic Life Support (BLS) to Advanced Life Support (ALS). They have hired paramedic Maggie Solanski to oversee the Emergency Department that currently handles around 200 ambulance calls per year.

“We plan to increase that number by offering a more advanced system so there are less transfers to bigger hospitals,” Kooiman said.

But perhaps the most exciting change of all will be the building itself. The ELEAH Medical Center building is actually owned by Grant County and leased to ELEAH. Dr. Rapp owns the Medical Arts Clinic, which is not a building at all, but the medical personnel, who provide services to ELEAH. Recently ELEAH did a demographic study of the area it serves to see what services it should be providing down the line and hired an architectural firm, and consulting firm to make it happen.

They are completing a building and site analysis, looking at the functionality and condition of the current building, from which the board will develop a strategic plan of where it should be in five years and ten years.

“There are many problems with the current building including few handicapped rest rooms, a roof that leaks, a sewer problem, a parking lot that is too small, and energy use and technology issues,” said Kooiman, adding that the building’s infrastructure simply cannot support ELEAH as it moves forward.

“The board recognizes that it is a good time to build with financing and construction costs both way down.”

With building in mind, the consulting firm is investigating three options for ELEAH: 1. Build an addition onto the current structure; 2. Build in two phases: an addition, then tear down the current building and build an addition onto the first addition on the site of the current building; or 3. Build a new facility on a new site.

“We have also hired a firm to look into the financial feasibility of the three options,” added Kooiman, who estimates a new building will cost around $15 million.

“With Medicare reimbursements as they are, because we are a Critical Access Hospital, ELEAH is reimbursed 101 percent of our costs, including building costs, for Medicare patients,” said Kooiman, adding that around 65 percent of ELEAH’s patients are Medicare patients, and that number is only going to grow.

“We hope to have a building option selected by the end of March, and the financial study by August 15. Then we will be able to submit a funding application to the United States Department of Agriculture, which funds rural development projects such as this.”

Kooiman believes the future of ELEAH is bright.

“This is just an outstanding community with lots of support and an auxiliary that does tremendous work. It is an exciting time!”

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