TULARE – Tulare hospital’s never-ending story may have finally opened its final chapter.
On Nov. 25, the Tulare Local Healthcare District Board of Directors announced it had taken an important step to complete the district’s unfinished medical tower by formally adopting a process and a timeline to establish its Hospital Tower Construction Committee “made up of the experts and community representatives that can best assist us in fulfilling our obligations while looking out for the best interests of all residents in the district is absolutely necessary,” board president Kevin Northcraft said.
Once formed, this seven-member committee will be made up of a cross section of experts and community representatives who will assist the board in completing the tower in a timely and efficient manner.
Individuals interested in participating in the tower construction committee can apply now through December 11, 2020 by visiting www.tularelocalheatlhcaredistrict.org and completing the online application. Following the expiration of this application period, the Board of Directors will interview each applicant before seating members of the tower construction committee.
The renewed focus on completing the tower begin in April when the hospital board laid out four options for funding the final leg of the 15-year project. Options included seeking a combination of grant funding, financing options, negotiating for assistance from Adventist, a phased approach to construction and occupancy and the unlikely scenario of a new bond measure, either for the full amount needed or a smaller bond for a partial amount.
The hospital board issued a request for proposals in August to firms to assist in identifying its fundraising strategy to complete the tower. The district selected California based Grant Management Associates (GMA) in October to assist in the design, development, implementation and management of a capital campaign fundraising strategy for the tower construction project. GMA will work closely with the tower construction committee, board of directors and district staff to complete the tower.
“We continue to move forward and are committed to making sure the facilities are available that give us every opportunity to provide the best healthcare possible to all residents and visitors of the district,” said Kevin Northcraft, president of the Tulare Local Healthcare District Board. “It is incumbent upon us that we not only complete the tower project, but that we do so on time and on budget.”
The board of directors for the district will be asking the tower construction committee to undertake the following duties: 1) inspect tower and determine present condition; 2) review status/progress of hospital tower construction; 3) determine steps needed to complete hospital tower construction; 4) identify regulatory and legal requirements for completion; 5) determine realistic timeline for completion; 6) determine need for and identify through the RFP process potential vendors, contractors, consultants, etc. to assist with the project; 7) and ascertain all costs. The tower construction committee itself will include two members of the district’s board of directors and five additional members, including at least three with backgrounds in, public works construction, accounting, healthcare and/or hospital services.
Those qualified individuals interested in serving on the tower construction committee for the district may find more information and an application at www.tularelocalhealthcaredistrict.org.