Sharp County Hospital Foundation, Inc. has been formed

It is very important not to let all the good work done here fade away. Again, if you haven't yet read the Feasibility Report, it is truly worth a look. It is full of significant information on the area beyond just the urgent need for the hospital. The link is below.

Nothing new, but I have heard people are asking if the one cent sales tax question is for the hospital. It is not, but it should be.

Hi Forum,

Has anyone heard an update oin the hospital proposal?

Than ks Karleen. There remains no single more important thing that Sharp County needs for the wellbeing of its citizens and the economic recovery of the area than a real hospital. As for Cherokee VILLAGE, John Cooper knew it too.

thank you this is good to read. let judge brown read this and pass it on.

Once again, I am pushing for a 24/7 ER now but I also believe the hospital is still very crucial and should be up and running within the next 5 to 10 years. I say that because a new hospital will not be up and running in the next few years, we all know that.

Fyi, the info on the Board is this:

Sharp County Hospital Foundation

1. BOARD MEMBERS

Bob Evins, Banker
Martin Carpenter, Banker
Larry Bronson, Architect
Phyllis Kates, Retired College Professor/Program Administrator
Bob Burton, Methodist Minister/Retired Hospital Administrator
Ron Rhodes, Real Estate Broker
Eben Daggett, Real Estate Developer

The Board Members receive no compensation.


2. 501 C 3 Application (Tax Exempt Status)

TAX EXEMPT STATUS GRANTED by I.R.S. 12-11-2009
Letter Dated: Dec. 11, 2009 from I.R.S. to Sharp County Hospital Foundation:
"We are pleased to inform you that upon review of your application for tax exempt status we have determined that you are exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. You are also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the code."


3. Feasibility Study Completed 8/17/10

http://www.sharpcountyhospital.com/uploads/Sharp_County_Hospital.pdf

http://www.sharpcountyhospital.com/uploads/Sharp_County_Hospital.docx


4. Fundraising

(From 2009) We have established accounts at Liberty Bank of Arkansas and First National Banking Company. We will open accounts at the other local banks in the next few weeks but in order to open accounts we need funds to deposit. If you wish to make a donation please feel free to do so. In addition, we will need a substantial amount of money to pay for the feasibility study. Donations should be made to “SHARP COUNTY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION”.


5. Volunteers

(From 2009) We have had several people volunteer to help this effort and we will need all the help we can get. If you are willing to volunteer please send us an email
through our website: http://www.sharpcountyhospital.com Please include comments about any expertise you may have i.e. Architect, Accountant, Attorney, Engineer, Medical Background, Fundraising, Computers, Grant Writer, etc.


6. Email Contact list

(From 2009) You received this update because you signed up on our email contact list. Please encourage your friends to do the same. We want to keep everyone
informed about what is going on.


7. Suggestions

(From 2009) Please feel free to email us your suggestions. We welcome input and it doesn’t matter whether you live here or are simply concerned about what happens
in this area.


8. Congressional Delegation

(From 2009) Senators Lincoln and Pryor and Congressman Berry are aware of our efforts and have been very supportive. There is a bill in Congress that would give each State the ability to declare a Hospital a “Necessary Provider”, a power that presently rests with the Regional Office of Medicare. If we are able to have a Hospital it will be very important to have this designation because it will mean a higher reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. Please contact your Congressional Delegation and tell them to support Senate Bill S.1171 and House Resolution H.R. 2692.

Sharp County Hospital Foundation

To view in html from the Foundation, please go to http://goo.gl/hDcxN

Website http://www.sharpcountyhospital.com/

Email them direct at info@SharpCountyHospital.com


====

I strongly suggest that all of you contact your current representative in the US House and Senate as the Foundation members have suggested, and ask them
to please support an immediate 24/7 fully functioning ER for northern Sharp County Arkansas and a future hospital for northern Sharp County Arkansas. Also please ask for updates on Senate Bill S.1171 and House Resolution H.R. 2692 on what has been done with those bills and what is in the works currently on those bills or their newer replacement bills. This hospital is vitally important to the long term future of northern Sharp County. Thank you.

Mike

Sharp County Hospital Foundation, Inc. has been formed

I realize the foundation was formed in 2009 but I am putting this on the forum as a separate topic with some current views.

Sharp County Hospital Foundation, Inc. was formed in 2009, thanks to Bob Evins and C.E. Daggett.

Cherokee Village and the northern Sharp County area need a new, local hospital. It should be and is now one of the top priorities for this area if it is going to have lasting, sustainable economic development and a steady and rising population base.

Foundation member, Ron Rhodes, of Cherokee Village, issued the following press release:

A group of local citizens have formed an organization named Sharp County Hospital Foundation, Inc.

"The group considers themselves a 'steering committee' with the mission of building a hospital in Sharp County. The foundation has begun the job of gathering support from the people of Sharp County primarily in the areas of Ash Flat, Hardy, Highland and Cherokee Village."

"A spokesperson for the steering committee states, 'We know that a hospital is a critical element in the growth of these communities and more important to the health and welfare of our citizens.' We encourage anyone interested to visit http://www.sharpcountyhospital.com to sign up for updates and information.

http://www.areawidenews.com/story/1560048.html

This is a critical issue for our community and there are good people at work on this. I wish them success and they have my full support. Let's help this effort any way we can.

For more information, please visit http://www.sharpcountyhospital.com

I believe the hospital/ER issue is getting serious and needs to be at the forefront until a 24/7 ER is up and running. One way or another, an emergency room or full hospital must be put in, and as quickly as possible. As the old saying goes, Failure is not an option! I have always thought of doing the baby steps, crawl before you walk, and as much as we all want and need a full service hospital in northern Sharp County, it is more reasonable to believe that a 24 hour emergency room can be put into place much sooner.

In this following old article http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10952883 , the local mayors and the county judge would be happy with an ER. I realize they are looking to solve the immediate problem, and I'm sure they would rather have a hospital, but we require and need that ER now, and we also require and need a full service hospital in the reasonably near future once the ER is in place first. Not debatable.

The goal is a hospital. That is crucial and extremely important for the future of the area. Without a full service hospital in this area in the next few years is going to be a very real strain on the economic and population development of the area. It must be done.

However, we must stop the bleeding first.

"Highland Alderman Larry Allen said area cities are losing people every day and feels any solution is better than none. " from the following new news article http://www.areawidenews.com/story/1743998.html

This is important and should not be glossed over. I will repeat the quote to let it sink in. "Highland Alderman Larry Allen said area cities are losing people every day and feels any solution is better than none. "

That is the more realistic, short term goal of a 24 hour emergency room in place first to solve the immediate problem of emergency care very close by. This should and needs to be open within 12 months. Once that issue is resolved, the area can step back, take a deep breath, take in the big picture and see what we have to work with and where it is coming from, and then jump in and work rationally and diligently towards the required and longer term goal of the needed and required hospital for the Quad Cities.

In my opinion, a full service hospital in northern Sharp County is not debatable. It must be done and it will be done. Period. Let's get an emergency room open asap so that we can spend our time on getting the new hospital approved, funded, constructed, and operational within the next 5 to 10 years. There are very talented and well connected people in this area that can make this happen. They need the support of the community to do it and they need it now.

Does everyone think that is reasonable and workable? You now know how I feel on this vitally important issue. Your thoughts?

Folks, the future economic viability of this county is at stake. There is no doubt in my mind that we need a new hospital built eventually and a fully functioning, 24 hour emergency room that is extremely close by to the village and all of northern Sharp County and up and running within the next 12 months. This should not be open for debate. It is a must and should be the area's highest priority, period.

Mike

Link to the foundation is at http://www.sharpcountyhospital.com/