A proposed new building for Pratt County Emergency and Medical Services is on hold while a committee studies if there are other solutions for a department that has outgrown its space and has equipment scattered in four locations.

The county has spent $8-9000 for an architect’s preliminary drawings and site survey for a new building on county-owned land on Howard Street, east of Pratt Regional Medical Center. County commissioners were initially in favor of the new building, EMS administrator Mark McManaman said, but “their minds got changed.” If the building is not going to be built, he would rather have spent the money to provide a storm shelter for employees and protection for some equipment at the current ambulance building.

Early estimates, without working out specific bid documents, totaled about $2.3 million, according to McManaman, to house county fire equipment that is kept at the Township 12 facility on Country Club Road, emergency vehicles now located in a county-owned building at 409 S.
Main, provide space for storm spotters, who work from the basement of the Pratt County Health Department, and supervisors’ vehicles, which sit outside, leaving them vulnerable to weather that could freeze the intravenous fluids kept on board and to storms to which personnel must respond. In addition, the health department could be moved to the new location, facilitating cooperation between personnel, and the building at 712 S. Main could be sold. Federal Emergency Management Agency funds could cover part of the cost of a classroom to accommodate up to 50 people for necessary training and updating, McManaman said.

There has also been some discussion of providing space for a part-time satellite clinic of Prairie Star Health Center, Hutchinson, which provides medical and dental services to patients on a sliding fee scale and, according to its website, welcomes patients who do not have health insurance. PRMC and Pratt physicians objected to bringing in an outside clinic, preferring to use local resources, according to unofficial minutes of the Pratt County Commission meeting of Nov. 10.

With the economy the way it is, if there are better ways to provide space besides new bricks and mortar, they should be explored, said Rich Sanders, a member of the Pratt County Hospital Board. Considering those options is the primary objective of a task force of representatives of four entities: the Hospital Board, Pratt Regional Medical Center, Pratt County, in particular, the EMS and Health Department, and Township 12, which according to Sanders, is willing to consider expanding their building to house county equipment and vehicles.

Another issue, Sanders said, is to discuss whether there is need for an urgent care facility to take some stress off the hospital emergency room, and if so, who should manage it and where it should be located.

The hospital is not opposed to a new building on the land it leases, Sanders said, adding, “we all just want to take a hard look at the long term needs for the community and what’s the soundest way to perform that financially.”

No committee meetings are planned until after Jan. 1.