Hospital wants help with funds

Work on a new long-term care facility in Boardman should begin this year.

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

BOARDMAN — Mahoning Valley Hospital, an area long-term, acute care facility, is seeking help from Mahoning County commissioners in obtaining $9.5 million in tax-exempt, low-interest bonds to build a new hospital on South Avenue.

A public hearing on the matter is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. today in the commissioners’ conference room in the basement of the county courthouse.

Commissioners are expected to vote on the matter during their regular meeting, which follows the public hearing at 10 a.m., said Tom Presby, manager of business assistance projects for the Regional Chamber.

Mahoning Valley, with facilities within Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren and Greenbriar Healthcare Services, 8064 South Ave., plans to build a $10.5 million, 28-bed, 25,043-square-foot hospital.

Patients traditionally spend 25 to 30 days in long-term acute care facilities, Presby said.

The new facility

The new hospital, which also will include a pharmacy, food service facility and administrative offices, will be located on 10 acres south of U.S. Route 224, Presby said.

Patients now housed in Greenbriar will be moved into the new facility when it opens next year. Presby said MVH is bidding the project now and groundbreaking is expected to occur soon after that process concludes.

Michael Senchak, president and chief executive officer of MVH, was not available to comment Wednesday.

Presby said the Regional Chamber plans to help MVH secure the low-cost financing though the issuance of Chapter 140 Hospital Revenue Bonds.

“The law provides a mechanism for Mahoning County to assist this major new investment at no risk to county taxpayers,” Presby said.

Issuance of the hospital revenue bonds resulted from a meeting between the hospital and county officials, which the Regional Chamber was instrumental in organizing.

Before issuance of the bonds, a Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act public hearing is required, Presby said.

alcorn@vindy.com