By Stephanie Johns
Staff Writer

A Certificate of Need (CON) for a five-bed expansion with an estimated cost of $140,000 has been approved for Morgan Memorial Hospital (MMH). 
MMH’s CON request was filed Sept. 21, 2012.  That file was “Deemed Incomplete” on Oct. 3 and then “Deemed Complete” on Oct. 25. The application was approved Feb. 21.
Director of Development and Community Relations Megan Morris said that the hospital will pay for the modifications as it would any other expense.
She explained that they currently are licensed for 20 hospital beds, some with in-room access to restrooms and some without. After the modifications, all 25 rooms would have in-room access to restrooms.
Chief Information Officer Patrick Cook said the next step will be to submit drawings or blueprints of the expansion to the state fire marshal and to the architectural division of Department of Community Health (DCH) for approval and to contractors for pricing.
He said they are on schedule for the end of June or beginning of July.
According to the DCH website, “Following a favorable award...the applicant has 12 months from the date of approval to implement the proposed project.”
It went on to note that, “For projects that require construction or renovation, the applicant has one year from the date of approval to demonstrate substantial performance in beginning the project.”
There is a 30-day appeal period, he said.
“It’s very unlikely it would be [appealed], though,” he said.

Printed in the March 7, 2013 edition