As Florida Hospital Flagler CEO Ken Mattison saw it at this afternoon’s groundbreaking, an investor wouldn’t want to be putting his or her money on the latest expansion at the hospital, which isn’t seen as a money-maker: the 32-bed addition pushes the hospital beyond the 99-bed threshold, where it’s been for more than a decade, making it no longer a small, rural hospital in the federal government’s eyes. As a larger hospital, FHF could lose roughly $12 million in federal dollars and see its overall revenue fall even as it adds 45 to 50 skilled jobs to its rolls and the local economy.
The potential loss in revenue isn’t what Mattison is focusing on.
“Because of Medicare Disproportionate Share or Medicare dependent hospital, additional revenue flows our way if we stay small and rural,” he said. “The minute we exceed 99 beds, we actually lose that additional benefit, so if you think about it this is not a business decision, this is a how do we meet the needs of the community decision, and as Tony put it”—he was referring to Tony Papandrea, chairman of the Florida Hospital Foundation board, who was standing nearby—“If I were an investor, this would not be something that I would invest in for the money. This would be something I’d invest in because it’s the right thing to do.”
Or as Papandrea put it: “This is a big deal because this is a project that has been done to accommodate the growth of the community, and for no other reason. Our community is growing, their health care needs are growing, the hospital is growing, and we’re growing with it. The Foundation and the hospital are doing this for no other reason than to meet the health care needs of the community. This is not about money. This is not about spending money to do this. This is about helping the community. So that’s exciting. It’s not often that a corporation will do something with no ulterior motive other than the good of the community, and that’s what this is.”
In all says John Subers, the hospital foundation’s executive director, Florida Hospital Flagler will end up with a total of 147 licensed beds by the time the addition is finished and the new beds are receiving patients, come December. It’s driven by the county’s population growth: Flagler County just tipped past the 100,000 mark, while the hospital’s average daily census, according to a hospital release, has increased more than 25 percent between 2010 and 2014.
“What it’s going to mean to us is to have the infrastructure and resources to better meet the needs of the community as it grows,” Mattison said. “We’re very excited about what these additional 32 beds that are under construction are going to mean for our ability to care for the community.”
The expansion also solidifies Florida Hospital Flagler’s position as the county’s largest private-sector employer. At just under 1,000 employees, it surpassed Palm Coast Data, and will surpass it further with the additional jobs generated by the expansion.
“Nurses love it, patients love it, hospitals love it,” Subers says, “and from personal experience, I slept in a recliner at Shands over the last month with my mother in the hospital, and I wanted a sleeper sofa so bad.”
But the sofas are not cheap: at $3,500 each, the foundation is looking to raise $118,000 to have one in each room by the time the expansion is completed. You can make your gift here.
Anonymous says
Hubby and I love Palm Coast but may be forced to leave due to a dearth of critical health care services and competent physicians. A good hospital is part of the infrastructure that palm Coast needs to remain viable–Not a new government building, replete with state of the art “workout” center.
Barry Hartmann says
Maybe if more corporations and government buildings had a state of the art workout room we would need less hospital rooms. Just a thought!
gene says
One of the worst hospitals in the state-
Numerous bad experiences there in the past ten years
blondee says
$3500 for a sleeper sofa?
Markingthedays says
Barry Hartmann is correct. Why shouldn’t business and government invest in prevention?
tulip says
I wish the hospital would concentrate just as hard about providing quality care to in- patients as they do in devising ways to increase their profit line.
David S says
The majority of people travel some where else for any kind of specialtly healthcare,this place is not going to change building 32 beds or 100 beds this place is a joke period.
Anonymous says
A hospital that can’t deliver babies is useless in my eyes….
Anonymous says
“BarryHartman” and “Markingthedays” are examples of the egocentric, short-term thinking that will keep Palm Coast from thriving in the long run. Not everyone (few very overall, in fact) work in the government building and can take advantage of the free (albeit taxpayer funded) perks mentioned above that a limited number of the elite will receive. How is giving a state of the art fitness facility going to those few help improve and maintain the health and well-being of the population at large in Palm Coast? Are smart people who realize the importance of good doctors and hospitals in their immediate area going to move here because they hear that the local government building has a good workout room for a select few? Good doctors certainly aren’t going to be attracted to set up and try to maintain a thriving practice in an area that doesn’t offer them a good hospital to base their services in. How stupid do the so-called “planners” (and their personal affiliates) think consumers are…Or do they not really think of them at all, except tangentially, when they have to and when it doesn’t get in the way of THEIR self-interests as a primary motivator?
tulip says
I wish another hospital would be built here that would give Florida Hospital some competition both in quality of doctor care, nurses care, in patient care and lower costs. I know this area is not large enough to support two. of them.
Why doesn’t the hospital build a wing that can accommodate cataract surgery, and maternity. There are many seniors that require, or will require, cataract surgery or some other eye treatment and will attract opthamolgists to this area.l The population of younger people is getting larger so that a maternity section is needed. It doesn’t have to be a large place, as new mothers are discharged in a day or so making empty beds more readily available.
Fl Hosp has added some decent programs, but still should be taking care of ORDINARY needs of patients as well as the more serious ones like cancer and terminal illnesses and heart problems.
Anonymous says
AMEN, Tulip!!!
GB says
Tulip;
Why don’t you lobby the State Legislature for a Certificate of Need for Cataract Surgery and a Maternity Ward for Florida Hospital Flagler?
You DO know that the hospital is regulated by the State, right?