Members of the Chillicothe City Council and a specially-appointed board to study options regarding the future of Hedrick Medical Center met Wednesday night to hear a presentation of proposed services regarding the hospital. The presentation, which was the third and is expected to be the final one to be made to the group, came from WIPFLI, of Milwaukee, Wis.

The city/hospital group is studying whether the existing hospital building should be remodeled or a brand new facility should be constructed. Chillicothe Mayor Chuck Haney said that the group will meet soon and start discussions about each of the three proposals. The group will then make a recommendation to the City Council, which would have the final decision about which path to take since the existing hospital building is owned by the city.

Haney said that Chillicothe “is behind in the region,” noting that hospitals in surrounding communities have already made commitments for major renovations including hospitals in Trenton, Cameron, Marshall, Carrollton and Macon. "There's no question that we need to do something with this hospital," he said. "Whether we should rebuild or build at a new site will be a question that has to be addresses when the committee looks at proposals." Haney said that discussions regarding the future of the hospital began about a year ago. "We want to move quickly on this," Haney said.

In her presentation to the group Wednesday night, Kelly Arduino, director of financial services for WIPFLI, provided information about remodeling as well as building at a new site. During her presentation, she also fielded a number of questions asked by members of council and the hospital group.

The committee appointed to study the hospital proposals is comprised of hospital and city representatives. City representatives are Mayor Chuck Haney, Administrator Dean Brookshier, Councilwomen Pam Jarding and Donna Preszler, former city attorney Robert Cowherd and current city attorney Adam Warren; and hospital representatives Mike Palmer, president of the hospital board, Don Sipes, vice president of regional services for Saint Lukes Health System which leases the hospital facility; Rollie Stadlman, member of the hospital board, and Brian Johnston, Hedrick Medical Center's chief executive officer.