GEARY COUNTY —Geary County Commissioners Monday adopted a resolution that commits funding to support the financially challenged Geary Community Hospital in Junction City. They will use available American Recovery Program Act money to help defray operational expenses and cash flow requirements to ensure the hospital does not face a reduction of services.
The hospital announced last month they would close the Intensive Care Unit February 1.
Commissioner Trish Giordano said the funds are non-taxed funds from ARPA received by the county. "This is not something that we're not just going to handle over money. They're going to have to exactly show where this money is going, what they're using it for and why they need it." Giordano added the economic impact if the hospital did not exist would be devastating.
There is a maximum total of approximately three and a half million dollars in available ARPA money. "We're hoping to do other stuff with that so we're just going to take it day by day, explained Giordano.
Commission Chair Alex Tyson explained the funds can help as officials move forward to hopefully try and find a new partnership for the hospital. Also to make sure that we can still provide quality of services to the citizens of Geary County."
Commissioner Keith Ascher said the governing body is trying to buy some time to figure out what we can do. Right we just are trying to get them to slow down a little bit on looking for a partner that they've got in mind, and still trying to keep the hospital open as a full hospital."