Page 27 - 2014-mar-apr

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Healthcare Journal of little rock
I 
MAR / APR 2014
27
dollars in lower healthcare reimbursements
as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
“The lower Medicare reimbursements
have already stung Baptist,”said Harrington.
2014may not be much better with the hospi-
tal expecting to lose another $6million from
the same federal budget sequestration that
cost the company $5 million in 2013.
Another factor to consider is that Con-
way already has an existing 150-bed hos-
pital. Baptist Health maintains that this new
medical center will address the growing
healthcare needs of Conway and the entire
surrounding area. Jim Lambert, President
and CEO of Conway Regional Health Center,
which currently operates the only hospital in
town, disagrees.
“While it is true that the population is
growing in Conway, the demographics of
that growth tend to be young—the average
age according to the ConwayArea Chamber
of Commerce is 25.6,” said Lambert. “Mem-
bers of that age group aren’t typically high
users of hospital services.”  
Lambert also points out that in-patient
volumes have been soft for the last several
years in Arkansas and around the country
and says there is no shortage of hospital beds
in Conway.
“We believe Conway Regional has pro-
vided this community with high quality
healthcare for the past 75 years, support-
ing the growth of this community and the
health and wellbeing of the people who live
here,” said Lambert. “We are committed to
continue to serve high quality compassion-
ate healthcare regardless of what any other
hospital plans to do.”
But Harrington says he thinks Conway
needs another hospital because about 15 per-
cent of Baptist’s patients already come from
Faulkner County and the surrounding area.
“It’s always been an important part of our
market, and this gives us a chance to solidify
that and hold on to it,” he said. “We also see
it as an opportunity to spread our area of
service.”
While Brad Lacy, President and CEO of
the Conway Chamber of Commerce, couldn’t
comment on whether or not he thinks the
area needs another medical center, he did
said Lacy. “This trend has had a signifi-
cant impact on the local economy and has
increased the number of people who hold
local healthcare jobs.”
Lacy says in 2005 the education and health
services sector of the Conway economy
employed 4,841 people. That had increased
to nearly 6,100 people in 2013. Areport from
the University ofArkansas at Little Rock also
shows the population of the Conway area
has grown by over 35% in the past decade.
Similar growth is projected by 2020.
This is a trend that has not escaped the
notice of Harrington who says a local full-
service hospital will enhance the potential
for the area’s economic growth by contribut-
ing to an increase in local employment and
providing state-of-the-art health-care ser-
vices that help attract new businesses.
“Baptist Health will bring, to the com-
munity of Conway and surrounding areas,
an innovative and cooperative approach to
providing the highest standards of clinical
quality, a fully staffed emergency room, and
a proven track record of long-term commit-
ment to supportingArkansas communities,”
said Harrington.
Final design, construction plans, financ-
ing, and legal review are expected to be com-
pleted in 2014 with construction to follow.
The cost of the project has not been released,
however Baptist did spend over $10 million
to acquire the land in Conway. The new
Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway is
expected to open in 2016.
n
Jim Lambert
President & CEO of Conway
Regional Health Center
Brad Lacy
President & CEO of Conway
Chamber of Commerce
confirm that his city has experienced sub-
stantial growth over the past few years in the
healthcare industry.
“Conway isn’t just providing healthcare
for the city and Faulkner County, it has
become a regional healthcare destination,”
Russell Harrington
President & CEO of
Baptist Health