Boulder City Hospital is privately held with a board of directors. Every dollar is pretty much put back into the facility, according to Crandell.
Crandell, who prefers to be in a non-profit setting, hails from western Nebraska. He came to Nevada and the Boulder City Hospital in 1996, by way of UNLV School of Medicine and a hospital in Bullhead City, Arizona.
"We only use the money from Art In The Park for capital improvement, we don't use it for payroll or other kinds of expenses."
The Boulder City Hospital is pretty much a full service hospital, according to Crandell, with a couple of exceptions. The hospital doesn't deliver babies or do invasive heart procedures, but they do heart studies.
A primary focus for care, as well as the equipment which is on tap for purchase and replacement, is in the area of radiology.
Every one of the rooms in radiology represents $100,000 to $200,000 and it takes more than a half million dollars just to keep the rooms current, according to Crandell.
Different technologies require varied equiped and different expense levels to keep the hospital properly equipped. At some point in time equipment must be upgraded, repaired, and replaced.
"CAT Scan technolgy is changing so we would have to change every 5 years," says Crandell. Whereas nuclear medicine is not changing, the software may change, but the camera and the technique is not changing too much."
With the rising costs of hospital services and equipment, one might wonder if a continuing increase in funding will come from Art In The Park in order to meet projections of hospital needs. But even though the event is an important part of that budgeting plan Crandell looks beyond the popular annual event.
"We have a capital budgeting process that looks three years in advance," Crandell says. "We're not able to purchase everything every year, but we prioritize what's most important."
Like many non-profits, the hospital's future financial planning includes a number of avenues, including an ongoing golf tournament and more importantly, a giving plan for people and organizations to make donations.
"We also have a relationship with Nevada Rule Hospital Partners, which is a coalition of about 12 hospitals in the State of Nevada," continues Crandell.
"We're separately owned, but have a common interest. Through that group we do quite a bit of grant funding. We also have maintenance and repair pools which is another way to spread the risk."
From a businessman's point of view, the primary source of funding and the most logical way to make money and stay in business is to get more customers. Crandell has been noticing and taking advantage of that aspect of the medical care business.
"The demographics are changing. As Henderson grows closer to us we are seeing larger numbers of people coming from that direction," he says. "Our service market goes all the way down to the Arizona border. We have people coming from Searchlight, Laughlin, and what we call South Henderson."
Crandell has the answer to a healthy Boulder City community. Provide good service and they will come. Visit Art In The Park at www.artinthepark.org.
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