ThePlumas District Hospital (PDH) Board of Directors approved a request to apply for a $10 million loan to finance a hospital construction project.  

CEO Doug Lafferty presented the proposal, Tuesday, Oct. 2, which included architectural drawings for new construction and renovation of existing facilities, projections for costs of the project, financing methodology, project timelines and summary. 

The $10 million, 30-year-fixed-interest loan would have an interest rate near the current 3.2 percent, depending on when the debt is actually assumed. 

The application is complete and Lafferty said he expected the USDA to approve the loan request. 

The entire project would take about two and a half years to complete.  

It would include new construction of a single story 13,214 square foot addition. It would add a 5 bed emergency department, a two room operating room suite and a new patient lobby. 

Existing facilities would be renovated, and public traffic to Bucks Lake Rd. would be reoriented. 

Board director John Kimmel, a certified public accountant and a member of the finance committee, said of the proposal “We’re comfortably in the realm of reason here. We’re taking the risk away from taxpayers.” 

Director Mark Satterfield, also on the finance committee, said, “The analysis helped me to come to a comfort level. The thing that’s made the turnaround has to do with management and leadership.” 

Kimmel added, “I can sign a note for John Kimmel, but it’s a much greater responsibility to take on this risk.” 

The board expressed their confidence of the proposal by unanimously approving the request to apply for the loan. Board member Kathy Price was absent. 

Lafferty assured the board that he was not asking for blanket approval of the whole project. Rather, he said each month he would review the project with the board and take “one bite of the apple at a time.”