Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending - Construction - Citizens Medical Center, Inc. (CMCI) d/b/a Citizens Health (CH) is located in the heart of rural America servicing nine counties in northwest Kansas (Cheyenne, Decatur, Gove, Logan, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, and Wallace). The independent healthcare system is comprised of Citizens Medical Center, a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital (CAH) - one of the largest in Kansas; Family Center for Health Care (FCHC), a federally licensed Rural Health Clinic (RHC); Prairie Senior, a 60-bed long term skilled nursing facility; and Citizens Foundation, the fundraising arm of the organization. Citizens Foundation, a 501 (c)(3), applied on behalf of Citizens Health. Citizens Health is the largest employer in the area, employing 430 associates from 43 different zip codes including 29 medical providers and 45 visiting specialty providers. The organization significantly impacts a large demographic area, serving a population of approximately 31,231 people in the 9- county region and beyond. CH has a diverse patient mix and does not discriminate based on demographics, including race, sex, religion, and national origin. In 2021, Citizens Health served over 11,000 patients from 159 counties. In the last five years, Citizens Health's patient base increased 81%, with 54% coming from outside of Thomas County. To meet the needs of our patients, Citizens Health has focused on developing and expanding both inpatient and outpatient services, which include surgery, a specialty clinic, and obstetrics. To meet the pressing healthcare needs of the region, Citizens Health is constructing a new medical facility. The expanded campus will result in a 180,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility. The efforts to expand access to maternal and obstetrical services in the area are critical and will be a key focus of the expansion. The I-70 corridor between Colby and Denver is an Obstetrics (OB) desert. Citizens Health has the only OB center in the 230-mile stretch. The current 41-year-old facility is not adequate to accommodate the increase in services or additional staff. To secure interim financing, reductions were also made to the maternal and obstetrical service units and the capital equipment allowance. If awarded, the congressional appropriations are critical to help recover the funding shortfalls from these unexpected budget cuts and allow Citizens Health to reinstate the much-needed maternal and obstetrical services and equipment budget. Citizens Health is one of only a few healthcare facilities in Kansas that is locally owned and operated and not funded by any tax dollars. We are a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization and therefore rely heavily on funding options for capital expenditures such as grants and low-interest loans. The new campus will be primarily funded by a $119,133,000 long-term, low-interest USDA Rural Development Community Facilities loan and a guaranteed loan through a private lender. The new facility is being constructed between the current facilities and Prairie Senior. All services will be located under one roof and will remain a 25-bed critical access hospital. The existing buildings that house the hospital and rural healthcare clinic will be repurposed to meet overflow needs such as daycare and office space.
