Limited Opportunities for Columbia
by July 14, 1997 12:00 am 63 views
Vandewater, Corley and Michael Arvin, executive vice president for the region, say that buying opportunities for Columbia are limited in Northwest Arkansas.
Washington Regional Medical System has said “thanks, but no thanks,” Arvin notes, adding that Columbia and Northwest Medical Center in Springdale still could reach an accord. Likely, however, Columbia will build a smaller facility for use by the Northwest Arkansas Independent Physicians Association, which has aligned with Columbia.
A new hospital would make more sense in the long run in Northwest Arkansas, Corley hints.
“All the hospitals in the area are old,” he says. “It would cost $20 million to refurbish hospitals that were built before the 1970s.”
He says there is still a potential for a partnership with an existing facility. “It could go one of several ways,” Corley adds.