By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
Stormont Vail Health is providing some services and assistance at Geary Community Hospital now and plans to assume oversight of all operations at the financially challenged facility on Jan. 1.
Tracy O'Rourke, Chief Operations Officer for Stormont Vail, said their mission is to stabilize GCH, and noted the situation is rocky now. She told a meeting of hospital personnel, county and city leaders that the key to a turnaround is getting the patient numbers back up.
Stormont Vail has brought in general surgeons from Topeka. "We're also working with the Manhattan orthopedic and sports medicine team to provide services here and the general surgery group there as well as our GI physicians."
Some medical specialists from Stormont Vail's new medical facility in Manhattan care can also be extended for some patient care to the Geary County campus.
Surgeries are currently trending well at the Junction City facility, and the plan for next year is to have surgical suites full every day.
Geary County Commissioner Trish Giordano observed that as the hospital struggled Geary Community had been only capturing 30% of the patients. Residents in the county were going elsewhere for help. One goal moving forward will be to ensure consistency so patients don't leave here for primary care.