WellStar Paulding’s Expansion Sooner Than Expected

[Al Lee Gator]

WellStar Paulding President Mark Haney announced at the June Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Dallas that the expansion of Paulding’s hospital complex will move forward with two additional floors. And, later that same day, the WellStar Board approved the plan. The addition to the new hospital, which opened its doors just over a year ago, comes sooner than had been originally anticipated.

 

Haney said that the existing 265,000 square-foot campus had originally been thought to be adequate for at least another year before expansion plans would be considered. But that has proven to not be the case.

 

“We’re already often exceeding 90 percent of our capacity,” Haney said. “These floors will add 56 beds bringing us to 112 beds total.”

 

Construction of the new hospital complex began during the fall of 2012 and as the project got underway, planners applied for and received a height variance that has already played into the hospital’s future.

 

Paulding WellStar has a height variance from Hiram to go three more floors, which allows the new hospital to exceed the number of stories in its original design and better aligns with growth projections for the site.

 

“[And] we can also build outward on that campus,” Haney said.

But Haney feels that the expansion should put the facility where it needs to be unless growth to the Paulding area spikes beyond current expectations.

 

“I think this will carry us for five to ten years. [but] if the economy gets robust and people start moving to the area, you never know,” he said.

 

Haney said the timeline on the new construction starts now and goes through next year. This latest phase should be completed and open for business in late 2016 or early 2017.

 

“Technically we’ve started the planning with the architects, I think construction will start this fall sometime,” he said.

[Lady Raider]

As big as paulding is, they really thought that 56 beds was going to be enough for a hosiptal? and they think that adding 56 more beds will be enough?

 

sometimes all i can do is shakemyhead at the leaders of this county... and this is one of those times.

[Blunt Trauma]

As big as paulding is, they really thought that 56 beds was going to be enough for a hosiptal? and they think that adding 56 more beds will be enough?

 

sometimes all i can do is shakemyhead at the leaders of this county... and this is one of those times.

Lord now you've gone and made me defend county leadership.

 

For once, and I'm talkin' just this once, this ain't them. This is all WellStar. Entirely their decision(s).

[The Sound Guy]

Construction business going to have another kick around here.

 

We're trying to get a small addition (100K) built onto our church, can't find anybody interested in doing a job that small, everyone we talk to is swamped.

[Blondiega1]

Construction business going to have another kick around here.

 

We're trying to get a small addition (100K) built onto our church, can't find anybody interested in doing a job that small, everyone we talk to is swamped.

 

I know several people that are in the construction industry.

It is booming right now and they are turning away work simply because they can't get employees.

Hard to find good, reliable, honest guys who are willing to work construction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

Edited June 15, 2015 by Blondiega1

[The Sound Guy]

 

I know several people that are in the construction industry.

It is booming right now and they are turning away work simply because they can't get employees.

Hard to find good, reliable, honest guys who are willing to work construction.

.

 

Good point. Too many thing they should get a paycheck for showing up. They don't understand that you have to be able to *do* the trades to make yourself worth the big bucks that expert plumbers/steelworkers/etc get.

[Blondiega1]

Good point. Too many thing they should get a paycheck for showing up. They don't understand that you have to be able to *do* the trades to make yourself worth the big bucks that expert plumbers/steelworkers/etc get.

Heck, most of the folks I know can't even get someone who will show up daily, and on time!

Even Jenilyn has posted of FB that her husband, in the landscaping business, has trouble getting good reliable help.

What happened to getting a job and the excelling at it?? Or for heaven's sake, just be there daily and on time!

[mei lan]

Construction business going to have another kick around here.

 

We're trying to get a small addition (100K) built onto our church, can't find anybody interested in doing a job that small, everyone we talk to is swamped.

 

The other reason is that churches are notoriously hard to work with and very slow to pay. I found the opinion to be pretty standard across the board, which is sad.

[The Sound Guy]

Heck, most of the folks I know can't even get someone who will show up daily, and on time!

Even Jenilyn has posted of FB that her husband, in the landscaping business, has trouble getting good reliable help.

What happened to getting a job and the excelling at it?? Or for heaven's sake, just be there daily and on time!

 

Myself, I think it comes from school attitudes. They are allowed to make up late work, never punished for being late, spoon-fed the tests, etc because the schools are trying to meet these arbitrary statistical goals the state put on them and it's mandatory they be there. They can get through with minimum effort as we dumb down the system and the school system, not the student, is punished if they don't "pass". If they could be expelled for not trying to learn, you's see a different lesson learned.

 

So they graduate and they expect the workplace to be the same way. Can't blame them since that's all they know.

[The Sound Guy]

The other reason is that churches are notoriously hard to work with and very slow to pay. I found the opinion to be pretty standard across the board, which is sad.

 

Don't know about slow to pay, but hard to work with I'd believe in a heartbeat. Usually you are dealing with a committee that will take forever to approve anything.

 

(I say that as being part of the trustees for the next 3 years)

[dj54]

I still can't figure out why they built that nice new hospital and there's no labor and delivery floor. I think all of the other Wellstar hospitals have them.

[Blondiega1]

I still can't figure out why they built that nice new hospital and there's no labor and delivery floor. I think all of the other Wellstar hospitals have them.

 

Well I don't know nuttin about nuttin, but my guess would be due to liability costs.

[lowrider]

 

Well I don't know nuttin about nuttin, but my guess would be due to liability costs.

 

 

My thoughts too.

[Rose Luxemburg]

They have to obtain a Certificate of Need for maternity and other lines of care. Also have to get a CON for certain types of equipment over a certain dollar amount.

[The Sound Guy]

They have to obtain a Certificate of Need for maternity and other lines of care. Also have to get a CON for certain types of equipment over a certain dollar amount.

 

I'm assuming that this cert is from the government, is that correct? I didn't realize that hospitals were that regulated. Guess we are closer to total government control of our health care than I thought. So much for private enterprise deciding where they can invest their money.

[LPPT]

We had graduates that came straight out of HS into construction. Many of them apprenticed with heat and air, plumbing and electrician and stayed with companies during the recession. Some found other lines of work that they are staying in.

The Mexicans operated the hammers and shovels, some roofed and they were excellent at masonry.

It seems they all went home because they did not want to split their households to collect welfare.

They are not coming back this time until they are welcomed. Hopefully with competent wages that are taxable and health insurance.

Many small businesses were severely effected by their exodus. A shop keeper in downtown Cedertown told me that all the merchants would bad mouth the droves that came to shop. Half of all the downtown businesses went under at one time.

There are still a lot boarded up.

We had hard working ethical workers that were used as a scape goat for everything wrong with this country.

The cost of produce is ridiculous, which in the long term effects the health of our our lower income family's that are not collecting food stamps.

I have never seen a lazy Mexican and have never heard a complaint from an employer about them being lazy.

There work ethic was so strong many would work a 6 hour lunch go home and rest, then return at 3 to work till close.

I was even told if they could not make it to work they would send someone in their place.

Gonna be interesting to see how the construction boom goes without them.