New NOCH facility planned for GH Twp.

Tue, Nov 24, 2009    to del.icio.us

GRAND HAVEN TOWNSHIP — A proposed development on Grand Haven Township's south side is aimed at filling Ottawa County's need for nursing home beds.

Officials from North Ottawa Community Hospital have proposed the construction of a new 125-bed, $17 million skilled nursing care facility located on 48.5 acres at the northeast corner of M-45 and U.S. 31.

"We certainly think that this is the right thing to do," said Jen VanSkiver, communications representative for NOCH.

Hospital officials now have to prove the need for such a facility. A public hearing regarding the project is being planned for Dec. 3 at 3 p.m. at the Alliance for Health offices, 1345 Monroe NW, in Grand Rapids to seek comment on the proposed health care facility.

Comments received at the public hearing will be used in the Alliance's recommendation to the Michigan Department of Community Health for a certificate of need request for the project, according to Lody Zwarensteyn, Alliance president.

Michigan's Certificate of Need Program is aimed at balancing access, cost and quality issues to ensure only needed facilities are developed in Michigan communities.

"Any comment received will be forwarded to the committee that does the actual review process," Zwarensteyn said, adding the Alliance believes in a very transparent process for public input.

Based on the proposal, NOCH is proposing to build a two-story facility with private rooms at the Grand Haven Township site, just north of the existing gas station and Subway restaurant.

Officials also indicate they intend to apply for participation in the Medicaid program as soon as it's available, with an estimated 60 percent of patient days of care being reimbursed by Medicaid.

If the project is approved, VanSkiver said it would be similar to the Heartwood Lodge in Spring Lake Township. That facility has 84 beds and an eight-patient hospice wing. The new facility would not include a hospice wing.

The Spring Lake Township facility has maintained relatively higher occupancy, according to the report. The new care center is expected to start at 65 percent occupancy in the first year and increase to 85 percent occupancy by the third year.

Grand Haven Township Manager Bill Cargo said he and the Township Board have known about the project for quite some time and are excited about the benefits it will bring to the area.

While it won't bring in any new tax revenue due to its medical use, the facility will bring in new jobs and take advantage of underutilized public utilities in the area, he said.

"This is good for us because we have the capacity," Cargo said of the water and sewer lines in the area.

In addition to the existing 770 NOCH employees and volunteers, the new care center is expected to bring more than 100 new full-time equivalent staff, according to VanSkiver.

"We're already tapping out at over 1,000 people," she said.

Despite reported shortages among nurses, NOCH doesn't expect difficulty in recruiting qualified staff, according to the project report. The hospital will provide support for human resources functions, payroll, billing, information services, performance improvement and staff development.

Though the public hearings are in place and ideas are on paper, construction won't begin anytime soon.

VanSkiver said officials from the hospital will likely want to take the time to do the project the correct way — especially with the sour economy.

Cargo believes NOCH could get authorization to move forward in December, and any zoning applications and other work to progress on the project would happen sometime next year, he said.