Teddy bear clinic helps kids with fears and adults with the hospital bond

The Power County Hospital was overrun with patients on Saturday – teddy bear patients that is.

It was the hospital’s annual teddy bear clinic, where kids can bring their favorite stuffed animal to get a “check up.” The goal of these types of clinics are to help show kids that doctors and hospitals don’t have to be scary.

While kids were getting their bears examined, the hospital took the chance to talk to adults about the upcoming hospital bond. Adults could look at proposed drawings and the hospital could answer any questions about it.

The proposed bond is for just under $15 million. That is for a total renovation of the entire hospital. The renovation would include about 49,000 square feet.

Jacklyn Taylor, marketing director for the hospital, said the expansion and upgrade will provide better safety, access, more parking and overall better patient care. She said modernizing the hospital will also help it be able to bring in better technology and specialists down the road.

Taylor said it’s been a long time since the hospital has had work done and it’s time.

“It’s due,” she said. “Our community has been extremely generous updating several buildings and areas from our schools to our courthouses and everything else in town and the hospital is essentially the last building in town that has not had major updates during the last 50 years and so it’s kind of time.”

The bond was on the November ballot but failed to get the super majority needed. It missed the pass percentage by about 7 percent. In order to pass this time, the bond needs two-thirds of the votes, or about 67 percent.