Chase County Commissioners Dave Hogsett, Chuck Vette and Don Weiss, Jr. received an update from Chase County Community Hospital administrators Steve Lewis and Abby Cyboron during the  Nov. 14 commissioners’ meeting.
    Cyboron went through the hospital’s 2017 annual report.
    In the ebb and flow of Medicare accounting, an upcoming Medicare payment of over $300,000 led Lewis and Cyboron to ask for help from the county. The commissioners have $270,000 in the county’s budget for use by the hospital and offered $250,000 to help cover the payment.
    Lewis said that after several years of financial improvements, the money will a huge help in preventing the hospital from sliding back to where it was financially when he started
    The commissioners have earmarked funds for the hospital for the past four years. Weiss said he was glad it’s taken this long for the hospital to need the money.
    Cyboron said the bank could tap into a line of credit with a bank. Hogsett asked if there was a way for the county to start a hospital fund the hospital could use when needed. The hospital could then pay back the county without the interest it would have to pay to a bank. County clerk Debbie Clark  said it would be like the inheritance fund and gave the example of the fair board borrowing money to pay for the new Expo building.
    The conversation went on to the proposed new hospital without any answers to Hogsett’s question.
    Weiss said he expects the hospital to be tax-funded at some point and several examples were given of area hospitals supported by or receiving help from the county.
    Cyboron said she expects  it will take county funds to make a new hospital happen.

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