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DPH lobbies Legislature for added CHC funding
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Posted on Oct 18 2006
The Department of Public Health used a legislative tour of the new hospital wing to lobby for funding of upgrades to the old health care facility.
DPH Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez said that the transfer of some administrative offices and outpatient clinics to the new hospital wing would allow for improvements to facilities that would remain in the current hospital.
According to Villagomez, one of the facilities that DPH wants to expand is the Commonwealth Health Center’s Intensive Care Unit, which currently has four beds only. Villagomez said hospital staff often has to create a “makeshift ICU” to accommodate patients.
Also needing expansion are CHC’s emergency room, which can serve only seven patients at present, and the laboratory, he said.
“Our next project is to retrofit the old hospital, to make an expansion to some facilities. We will come knocking on your doors for some appropriation because that will be a capital improvement project. We are hoping for your support,” Villagomez told lawmakers who toured the new Dr. Jose T. Villagomez Center for Public Health and Dialysis Center on Tuesday afternoon.
The new hospital wing was originally planned to house just a hemodialysis center at a contract price of $5 million. It ended up costing $15 million, covering a total area of 78,000 square meters and including additional out-patient clinics, a state-of-the-art command center in case of a disaster, soundproof conference rooms, large medical records and supply rooms, and administrative offices that have individual shower rooms.
The new building is completed, but has yet to be furnished.
