By Jim Misunas
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

LARNED — The Pawnee County commission will meet at 10 a.m. Sept. 1 at the Pawnee County Courthouse. Officials from the Murray Company, the Health Facilities Group and HaysMed will be represented at the meeting.
On the agenda is presentation of Guaranteed Maximum Price from the Murray Company for the $18 million Pawnee Valley Community Hospital. The commissioners will consider possible acceptance and any other business as presented.
The Pawnee County Commission heard construction planning updates in July, coordinated by the Health Facilities Group and Murray Company for the hospital. The Wichita Health Facilities Group is the architectural firm for PVCH. Murray Company of Overland Park is the construction firm.
Pawnee Valley Community Hospital is using “construction management at risk.”
CMR is described as a project delivery process where a contractor is engaged by the owner during the design process to assist in pre-construction project management support services, and then acts as a general contractor during the construction process. The process offers a “guaranteed maximum price,” for the project. Proposed CMR fees are $992,825 for Murray.
Pawnee County commissioners Kathy Bowman and John Haas gave their blessing for reaching their stated construction goal of $18.0 million. The latest budget summary sliced $232,560 off the previous proposal.
“You’ve done an excellent job with what we asked you to do,” Haas said. “What you have designed is phenomenal. It’s a usable facility that will be asset to the community. It’s a functional hospital that meets the needs of the community today and tomorrow.” 
Philip Schultze, Murray Company, unveiled an original proposal that was calculated at $18.25 million. But $263,407 was cut from the mechanical and electrical budget line. David Wright, Health Facilities Group vice president, assisted with the presentation.
Several building changes and program changes lowered the cost. Shell space was deleted for two patient rooms and one patient room was deleted.
New chillers and a new 650 kw generator were deleted from the plans. An existing chiller and existing 450 kw generator from Pawnee Valley Community Hospital would be used. Rooftop air-cooled units would be used in place of the air handlers and chillers. Site changes included reducing the number of parking stalls and a revised loading dock. An additional 116 parking spots will be installed.
Schultze identified six alternates that could be added. The alternates are Add finish and Mechanical, electrical for two patient rooms, $187,999;  Add shell space for two patient rooms, $89,399; Delete corrugated metal siding for brick, $86,488; South parking extension, $16,065; Snow melting system, $15,380; Meccho shades, $7,382.  
Murray Company has done work for the Hays Medical Center, Rush County Medical Hospital in La Crosse and the Kiowa County Medical Hospital in Greensburg. 
The Pawnee County commissioners have received a letter of official notice from the Center of Medicaid and Medicare Services department, which oversees the process of federal programs in regard to critical access facilities such as the Pawnee Valley Community Hospital.
PVCH administrator Matt Heyn said that CMS reported that the PVCH project can move forward with an expected ground-breaking ceremony tentatively scheduled for Sept. 30.