GRMC Chief Executive Officer Brian Cunningham By Mary Alice Murphy

On Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016, Gila Regional Medical Center celebrated, in the courtyard with hot dogs and hamburgers, the recent awarding of a 4-Star Quality rating from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid.

"We are proud to have received the 4-Star Quality rating," GRMC Chief Executive Officer Brian Cunningham said. "It is our mission to deliver high-quality care. I thank all our caregivers; I thank our board members; and I thank our community for continuing to support us."

He said he wanted also to talk about another initiative'Healthy Hospital, Healthy Community. "We put in a request to the county commissioners for help, which culminated in a ballot initiative, which is on the General Election ballot."

Cunningham said at least 14 or 15 other hospitals in New Mexico receive financial support from their counties.

"The question on the ballot asks for citizens to vote for or against a 4-mill levy to be used by the hospital for capital equipment and building upgrades only," Cunningham said. "We are trying to supply all the information you need to make an informed decision."

He gave an example: anyone who owns a property worth $100,000, actually has a net taxable valuation of $33,000, and will pay $132 extra a year, which is about $11 a month. The levy sunsets in four years, and the only way to continue it is to put it back on the ballot.

"Many hospitals, especially rural hospitals, are challenged," Cunningham said. "The hospital in Las Vegas lost its ob/gyn services, so women have to drive to Santa Fe to get care.

"The goal of this initiative is to keep our 4-Star Quality close to home," he continued. "If we lose services, you will have to go to Las Cruces or elsewhere and that costs fuel, food, time away from work and possibly an overnight stay."

Those costs could equal what you would pay in one year of the 4-mill levy.

Cunningham said the hospital has capital expenses each year of about $5 million. The levy would provide an offset of about $3.3 million a year.

He opened the session to questions.

Danny Castillo, a hospital employee, asked if the hospital has an alternate plan if the initiative does not pass.

"We have continuing projects to bring in more efficiencies and more revenue," Cunningham replied. "I have also been asked why we didn't go for a bond or for a gross receipts tax increase. Our county has one of the highest gross receipts tax rates in the state, but one of the lowest property tax rates."

He said the hospital would continue to work on the other 100 or so projects in progress. "Almost every community in the state has been supporting its hospital for the past five, 10 or even 15 years, so this isn't new."

Holy Cross Hospital in Taos was down to 11 or 12 days of cash. "We have about 100 days of cash. We are having this dialogue proactively, before we start sliding down to 10 or 11 days of cash. If we should lose equipment, then we lose physicians that rely on that equipment and we lose nurses. It's hard to bring them back."

Marilyn Alcorn, a candidate for County Commission district 4, asked if the hospital could put in for capital outlay.

"Historically the hospital has been successful at getting capital outlay," Cunningham said. "We in the past received money for the parking lot, for the Cancer Center, and recently capital outlay put $200,000 toward a nuclear medicine camera. We are reconfiguring the room to receive that camera. We received $150,000 last year for a portable X-Ray unit."

Cunningham said other questions he has been asked include:
If the mill levy doesn't pass, will the hospital close? "No."
Will there be layoffs? "No."
Will it be sold? "I don't think so."

"Although we are challenged, we are strong, with no debt, and we will continue to work to deliver high quality care," he concluded.

For more information, visit www.grmc.org.