Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Kosciusko Community Hospital has made an offer to The Bowen Center to purchase their current facilities.
The two organizations are working out the details now, subject to The Bowen Center receiving a grant to build a new facilities.
"They (KCH) want to expand their emergency services," said Bob Murphy, of R.P. Murphy & Associates, today of why KCH wants to purchase the property. If and when KCH buys the building, The Bowen Center will build facilities elsewhere.
Murphy said The Bowen Center really doesn't want to move, but in the spirit of cooperation, they are willing to do so.
The grant proposal to the state will be sent July 9; the application made Sept. 3; and by Nov. 15, Murphy said The Bowen Center should know if they've received the grant. If no grant is received this grant-making round, Murphy said, they will reapply next year.
For The Bowen Center to apply for a $500,000 grant to build its own new facilities, Bob Murphy of R.P. Murphy & Associates and Kurt Carlson of The Bowen Center asked the Kosciusko County Commissioners Tuesday to be the enabling organization for the grant. Only a city, town or county can apply for the grant, and as The Bowen Center is not one of those entities, they had to ask the commissioners to apply for the grant on The Bowen Center's behalf.
The commissioners approved signing the application. The public hearing on the grant was part of the commissioners' Tuesday meeting.
Murphy said The Bowen Center needs an inpatient unit somewhere and the grant money will help build the facilities.
According to Murphy today, KCH had The Bowen Center appraised at $1.7 million, but it will cost them $2.2 million plus other expenses to build another one. The Bowen Center is looking at property owned by the K21 Foundation near MedStat. Details on that purchase also are being worked out.
Last year, 848 citizens were served by The Bowen Center in a five-county area.
Carlson said the K21 Foundation also is very supportive of the agreement between KCH and The Bowen Center.
Commissioner Ron Truex said the county is only the the body through which The Bowen Center is applying for the grant. No county money is involved.
"We're asking the county to be the flow-through," said Murphy. The county simply is the mechanism for The Bowen Center to obtain funds.
In other business, the commissioners:
• Approved ordinances repealing stop signs at the intersections of CR 75W and the railroad line, north of CR 1350N, and at the intersection of CR 200W and the railroad line, north of CR 1350N. The crossings now have lights and gates.
• Approved a policy that at intersections of county maintained roads and non-county maintained roads, the county highway department is not responsible for visibility or lack thereof.
