This week the Senate Health and Human Services committee heard legislation authored by Senator Karin Housley (R-Stillwater) that seeks to address infrastructure needs of smaller hospitals.

The bill’s language would allow hospitals with a licensed capacity of 130 beds or less to transfer up to 100 of those licensed beds to a replacement facility, or a secondary facility, within five miles of the original site. This will give hospitals the flexibility to grow, plan for the future, and better serve patients.

Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater has been a strong proponent in favor of this bill. In a letter of support, they endorsed the bill because it will allow them to move beds to an additional location that is more suitable for their needs. Lakeview Hospital is only able to operate 68 of their 97 inpatient beds, due to size and structure constraints of their current building. The limitation has hampered their capacity to meet the growing healthcare demands of the greater St. Croix Valley communities.

“Lakeview Hospital has been an invaluable resource for Stillwater and the entire St. Croix Valley, and we want them to have the tools to succeed so that they can continue providing high-quality patient care,” said Housley. “It’s not just Lakeview, either – hospitals across the state have been struggling to meet needs due to issues like increased demand for services, staffing concerns, and limited space. This pivotal bill provides an immediate fix that will help address their numerous concerns – it will help enhance healthcare infrastructure, provide flexibility, and increase responsiveness. Smaller hospitals are the backbone of our communities, and this is one small step we can take to alleviate their stresses.”

The bill was laid over.