Health facilities expansion good news for Custer

The official announcement of the expansion plans for Custer Regional Clinic and Custer Regional Hospital at last Monday’s Custer City Council meeting is good news for the community. It shows that Rapid City Regional has a long term commitment to Custer which is great news for the increasing number of retirees and families needing quality health care in our area.

The community will also have the opportunity to show its commitment to Regional by extending for 20 years a promise to pay $300,000 annually from sales tax revenue  to finance the $4 million project. The $300,000 will repay a low-interest rural development USDA loan. The previous commitment was for $400,000 annually for operating costs. Expansion plans include a clinic addition and emergency room addition to the hospital. The ER addition will be for a garage where patients can be unloaded and loaded more safely and comfortably inside the building.

The clinic was doubled 10 years ago and now will be doubled in size again and redesigned for a much better patient flow. The clinic expansion will also make it possible to add another family physician to the four already on staff. Specialty physicians will also be able to operate out of the clinic which will only add to the health care services available in the community. 

Regional Health Services will continue to pay $52,000 annually to Custer Community Health Services (CCHS), owners of the hospital, for in lieu of tax payments for the nursing home. Regional will also pay $72,000 annually to CCHS for leasing the hospital and $350,000 annually for capital equipment needs at Custer Regional Hospital. All in all, this is a good deal for the Custer community because we are getting back a lot more than we are investing in health care.

There is also the $7.4 million in annual salaries now being paid at the local health care facilities and the 197 full and part-time employees working here. Expanding our facilities will probably mean more local jobs also and a secure future for the ones we already have.

Congratulations to the Custer City Council, CCHS, which is the local hospital board, and the Regional Health Network for forging ahead with this win-win plan. Let’s hope it can be finalized in July.