QUINCY — Voters in Hospital District No. 2 (Quincy Valley Medical Center) will be asked to approve or reject a one-year, $1 million levy to help the district cut back on its debt.

If approved, the levy would cost property owners an estimated 31 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. A district resident whose property was valued at $200,000 would pay $62 in property taxes, for 2017 only. “Which is far lower than it was in the previous levy (request),” said hospital CEO Jerry Hawley. Because it’s a revenue measure, the proposal must receive approval by 60 percent of the voters to pass.

There have been rumors out there that the hospital had closed, but they are false – it’s still open, Hawley said.

The levy would help QVMC pay back money it owes to Grant County, “accumulated over years,” Hawley said. The amount owed is subject to some changes, depending on the payments the district has made, but currently it’s about $3.5 million, Hawley said.

As a junior taxing district, hospital officials are allowed to borrow money from the county when the district doesn’t have enough cash on hand to meet its obligations. The money must be paid back with interest.

“Through a variety of events and circumstances over the last several years, the hospital has fallen behind financially,” Hawley said. He is a former QVMC administrator and has been back for a new term for about a year. He said the hospital fell behind “through a variety of events and circumstances,” and the debt is not, in his opinion, a reflection of mismanagement.

Like all hospitals, QVMC was required by federal regulations to move to an electronic medical records system, Hawley said, and the hospital has spent money updating equipment to meet federal requirements. In addition, Quincy is a hub for recreation, and the state’s major east-west highway runs through the hospital district. Quincy hospital has struggled with patients who use the hospital in emergency situations, then don’t pay the bill. “Come down, get hurt, we never see them again,” Hawley said.

The hospital also had to deal with a shortage of medical providers, Hawley said, but that’s been alleviated somewhat with the arrival of an internal medicine specialist and two nurse practitioners. That allowed QVMC to reopen its clinic, which is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., he said.

The hospital’s acute care department and emergency rom are still open, Hawley said. “It (the ER) saves a lot of lives.” The hospital did have to close its long-term care wing, however.

“We are making progress,” Hawley said. Land values in the Quincy area have increased, he explained, and hospital officials are hoping the increase in property taxes will help improve the financial picture over time, although the impact hasn't been felt yet.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].