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SEPTEMBER 2010 PROJECT OF THE MONTH Chilton says it’s the picture of financial health as $24M renovation launches 
Monday, August 23, 2010
By Beth Fitzgerald, NJBIZ Chilton Memorial Hospital, in Pompton Plains, said Monday it has embarked on a $24 million, three-year renovation designed to modernize the hospital, usher in the efficiencies required by federal health care reform and position the hospital to deliver the full range of care: outpatient, emergency, inpatient and post-discharge. When the renovation is complete, the majority of rooms at Chilton will be private rooms, said Tom Scott, chief operating officer. Chilton is licensed by the state for 260 beds; today, 54 of them are in private rooms, while there will be 142 single beds when the renovations are complete, Scott said. This will increase patient and family comfort. Scott said Chilton is looking in 13 surrounding towns for a site to create a new outpatient care facility. “Our research has shown that patients have a much higher comfort level using a facility that is affiliated with a hospital” for outpatient care, Scott said. Chilton also is considering building a professional medical office building on its Pompton Plains campus. David Knowlton, CEO of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, said patients like private rooms, and having more of them could give Chilton a competitive edge. “National health care reform means more people will have insurance,” and they will have a choice of hospitals and other providers, he said. “Hospitals are trying to position themselves for a sea change” in their industry, in which patients will be looking “for attractive services that are competitively priced.” Chilton is financing $14 million of the project with state health care bonds and raising the balance through philanthropy, Scott said. According to the New Jersey Hospital Association, 42 percent of New Jersey’s acute care hospitals were in the red at the end of 2008; figures have not yet been reported for 2009. “About half of New Jersey hospitals are doing well, and we are fortunate to be in the stable half,” Scott said “We have done a lot of things in the last couple of years to make sure we could withstand the economy, and we are managing our expenses and we are doing our best to collect all we can on the revenue side.” E-mail Beth Fitzgerald at bfitzgerald@njbiz.com  Click Here For More information
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