Allen County Regional Hospital on North Kentucky has a plan in place for removing snow from its parking lot, which differs little from the one that was employed at its old location, First and Madison streets. “I THINK we did a good job of clearing the hospital lot” of the Tuesday snow, Baker said.
Tuesday county commissioners discussed wintertime maintenance of parking areas near the hospital after county equipment was called out on Sunday to deal with ice on the parking lot
It boils down to a misunderstanding, said Hospital CEO Ron Baker, who embraced an opportunity to explain what the hospital does when wintry weather strikes.
“The plan isn’t much different than before,” at the old hospital, Baker said. “Our first line of defense is for our people to deal with snow, with a blower and a small tractor.”
If snow persists and becomes too much for the maintenance crew to handle, the hospital has a contractor — SEK Landscaping, Humboldt — who comes with a Bobcat and truck with a blade on its front. Also, hospital personnel assist.
“We’re the contractor’s first priority” and ACRH’s priority is to keep the hospital accessible, Baker said. “We’re open 24 hours a day, every day of the year,” which makes it essential that patients, on their own or by ambulance, are able to reach the hospital.
Bill King, director of Public Works for the county, told commissioners Tuesday that keeping open Kentucky and Oregon roads, main access routes to the hospital, was a priority for the county. His concern was being called out by a 911 dispatcher last Sunday to deal with ice on the hospital parking lot.
“That cost my budget $500,” he said, after county crews had been on duty Saturday dealing as best they could with icy pavement.
Ice is another matter for the hospital, Baker said.
The same steps as snow removal are employed, he said, but if it becomes too much of a burden, help from the county would be appreciated.
“I know budgets are tight; ours is,” Baker said, “but we’re all in this together.”
At the old hospital Iola trucks made passes through icy parking lots to spread chat and salt. Baker said a similar arrangement with the county would be helpful, although for the time being he would prefer just pea rock — which the county spreads — be applied.
“The concrete in the parking lot was poured in late summer and, as I understand it, it’s not good to put salt on new concrete,” he said.
Baker said it wasn’t practical for the hospital to purchase enough equipment specifically to remove snow.
In addition to the lot at ACRH, the hospital is responsible for snow removal on lots near the medical clinic at the old hospital, the clinic on South Washington Avenue where Dr. Wesley Stone and Margaret Lesher see patients and Home Health on State Street.
The hospital crew “worked until it got to be too much for us,” said Pat Rowe, director of plant operations.
Then, the contractor was called.
“His truck was broke down, and he had just his bobcat,” Rowe said, which proved capable, but took longer by itself.
The lot was cleared by early Wednesday morning.
Also, having cars parked in the lot makes its cleaning more difficult and time-consuming, Baker said.
“A lot of manual labor goes into it,” he said. “And we had a constant battle keeping snow away from the emergency room door. The wind kept building up drifts.”
A related problem cropped up with an ice storm in December.
“When ice on the canopy (at the hospital’s entrance) started to melt, chunks were falling and we blocked it off for a while,” Baker said. “We got with the architect and put up a dam that solved that problem,” but left yet another.
“Now, the ice doesn’t fall, but it melts and when it drips down on the north side, in the shade, the water freezes,” a concern for foot traffic. “We’re probably going to have to put up gutters.
“It’s a new building and that doesn’t mean perfection,” Baker continued, “but we’re solving problems as they show up.”
It’s ‘snow’ problem for the hospital
