It’s a perfect time for William “Pat” Patton to reflect on the state of Allen County Regional Hospital. 

Just over a year ago, Patton was named administrator of both Allen County Regional Hospital and Anderson County Hospital in Garnett. He’s seen enough to know what Allen County Regional does well, and how it can improve.

But there’s another reason to examine our local hospital. In a month, voters will decide whether to extend a quarter-cent sales tax used to support Allen County Regional Hospital. In place since 2010, the sales tax comes before voters for renewal every five years.

The Register will host a community conversation on the subject Thursday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. at the Dr. John Silas Bass North Community Center. Patton will be a panelist in the discussion. The public is invited.

Funds from the sales tax do not go to Saint Luke’s Health System, which leases the hospital from Allen County. Instead, the hospital’s facilities board oversees improvements and is responsible for allocating funds. (A key part of the lease agreement, approved in 2020, was that Saint Luke’s agreed to pay about $2 million in annual bond payments used to build the hospital, removing that from property taxes.)

Patton sees a strong case for voters’ approval of the sales tax’s renewal. “Both our facilities board and our hospital operations board are very involved and push us in the right directions,” Patton said. “Stewardship of the money is at a very high level. Our community members and the leadership at Saint Luke’s are equally thoughtful on how to use funds. We’re always asking, ‘How do we do this in the best way?’ They don’t spend money without a lot of thought. It’s managed very professionally.”

Saint Luke’s is fulfilling its part of the bargain in other ways, too, noted Patton. “I think it’s important for people to understand there’s a lot of capital that Saint Luke’s spends here internally. It’s truly a partnership.” 

For Patton, that is one of the benefits to the county’s relationship with a larger health system like Saint Luke’s. In 2023, Saint Luke’s merged with BJC Health System of St. Louis, creating a system with 28 hospitals and hundreds of clinics and service centers.

That scale also allows Allen County Regional Hospital to offer services well outside the scope of most small hospitals, Patton said.

He ticked off a number of services: the hospital’s Family Care Center, an outpatient specialty clinic, an infusion and chemotherapy team, outpatient rehabilitation services, and on-site interventional radiology. “A lot of those are things you get when you’re part of a larger system. Saint Luke’s brings a lot of resources you don’t get when you’re an independent hospital on an island.”

PATTON is no stranger to healthcare. Before joining Saint’s Luke, he served as president of Valir Rehabilitation Hospital in Oklahoma City and as CEO at Patterson Health Center in Harper County, Kansas. This is his 37th year in administration.

Patton said his approach to rural healthcare is rooted in a deep appreciation for rural communities.

“Iola has been a very accepting community. I live in Iola. Every day really feels more and more like home,” he said. “I appreciate the lifestyle we have here. For me, rural communities are the last vestiges of Americana. I get to see kids ride their bikes in my neighborhood. You don’t see that everywhere.”

His work at the hospital is focused on three initiatives.

First, Patton is working to improve workplace culture and the patience experience. “Part of that,” said Patton, “is consistency with leadership and building that trust factor, and making sure that everyone understands that BJC/St. Luke’s is committed to this area.

“There has been a lot of change here in the past four or five years, with going from HCA to the county to St. Luke’s. There have been changes with leadership,” he noted. “But I feel like there’s a commitment from BJC/Saint Luke’s, and that is important for people to know.”