VNA: Move to medical center will improve care

By Frances Hohl

Friday, September 22, 2000

Routt County — The Visiting Nurse Association has agreed to sell its building on Sixth Street to the county for $813,000. Profits from the sale, along with a huge state grant, will allow the nonprofit agency to buy office space in the new Yampa Valley Medical Center.

"We think it's exciting to have access to physicians and work with them on a more daily basis," VNA Director Sue Birch said. "It will really improve care."

In other action this week, the Routt County Board of Commissioners: Waived building permit fees for the East Tank and Pumping Station for Mount Werner Water District, which is common practice for a public entity; Signed a resolution proclaiming October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month; Approved a temporary increase in pay for communications staff (Sue Heineman, Lorie McCarty and Sharon Clever); Approved hiring of Environmental Health Specialist, Heather Savalox, who will be responsible for consumer protection and inspection of on-site waste water among other things; Signed a resolution authorizing county to buy the lot where the current Visiting Nurses Association is. The county hopes to use the lot for a future courthouse building; Signed Wyman gravel lease located in southwest portion of Routt County near the Williams Fork River; Designated Routt County Courthouse, Photo Express House, Soroco Middle School and St. Paul's Episcopal Church to Routt County Register of Historic Places; Requested coroner's office look for a more modestly priced vehicle than the proposals offered up at the meeting; Refused to lower tax assessment for Fred McCargar; Discussed with Routt County Emergency Manager Chuck Vale the operation plan for FEMA; Signed Airline Ground Handling License Agreement between Routt County and Worldwide Flight Services Inc., which takes care of ground handling of aircraft; Signed Filing 2 Final Plat, which modifies boundary lines for open space, and signed Final Phase II amended PUD plan for Heritage Park Subdivision; Did not act on request to release a natural gas pipeline bond for Public Service Co. of Colorado; Discussed the county's investments with MBIA, an investment firm; Awarded $17,528 paving job to Connell Resources for the District 2 county shop; Awarded $12,060 paving job to Elam Construction for CR 27 bridge

The VNA runs public health programs including home health and hospice care. Its 40 employees in Steamboat hope to be in their new building by mid-October.

Being located on the hospital campus will allow the VNA nurses to be on site when patients are being discharged. The same VNA nurse will visit them at home.

"Our nurses may also go over and help with wound care, then follow up at home," Birch said.

"It makes it nice to see the same nurse in their home," she said.

The VNA plans to buy the new 8,000-square-foot office space for $1.7 million.

The VNA currently has $1.2 million to make the purchase.

The money came from profits from the sale of the VNA building and with a $600,000 energy impact grant.

Now, the VNA needs to raise another $500,000.

"We're going to launch a fund-raising campaign," Birch said.

Part of the campaign will be selling "care stones."

Birch said the care stones will be decorative tiles that are displayed in the waiting room of the new building.

The County wants the old VNA building for a courthouse expansion.

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