The Joint Hospital Advisory Committee voted “NO” to a request from Sabetha Community Hospital for a portion of a half-cent sales tax designated for Hiawatha Community Hospital and healthcare in Brown County.
This vote came Thursday during a noon meeting of the committee — which was formed in January to help the Hiawatha Community Hospital find a solution to its financial issues — after much discussion and a presentation by Lora Key, CEO of Sabetha Community Hospital.
The bottom line was the committee members felt that the sales tax should go toward facilities maintained in Brown County. They pointed out that Sabetha Community Hospital receives around $350,000 in sales tax from Nemaha County — a move that came in 2015 when voters there approved a half-cent sales tax. The sales tax was split with 55 percent of revenue going to the hospital in Seneca and 45 percent going to Sabetha’s hospital, determined by the sales tax collected. “Should Brown County sales tax revenue be used for a facility outside of Brown County?” Brown County Kevin Hill asked. “That’s what we should look at.”
Key said Sabetha Community Hospital serves a portion of Brown County residents with in-patient and out-patient care and provides care to 22 Home Health patients here. Hiawatha Community Hospital interim CEO John Broberg said Hiawatha Community Hospital also serves Sabetha patients in both the clinics and the hospital and collaborates with the neighboring community on providing referrals to specialists there. He said he wants to continue working together.
Hiawatha Mayor Bill Collins said he was against splitting the money up and sending it outside of the county.
(Read more: Hiawatha World Online)