By a vote of 6 to 1 Tuesday night, the Van Diest Medical Center Board of Trustees approved the 2012-13 Tax Asking. Last month, the board voted to raise the tax asking from $496,265 to $850,000.The increase is due to the State mandates increase in IPERS (Iowa Public Employment Retirement System) contributions and the dramatic increase in charity care. The employer's contribution rate for IPERS will be increased from 5.75% to 8.67% beginning with the 2012-13 fiscal year. Van Diest Medical Center administrator Palmer Schnieder said it is anticipated this mandated increase will cost the hospital an additional $233,000. Schnieder said that even though the tax asking is being raised to $850,000, Van Diest Medical Center remains in the lower one third of tax levies when compared to other county hospitals in Iowa. Even with the increase in the tax asking the hospital will experience a loss form the costs of charity care and IPERS.The lone no vote cast was by board member John Hemingway. The tax asking will take effect on July 1,2012.

The Van Diest Medical Center board approved the appointments of Steven Dunnick and Dr. John Rule to the medical staff. Dunnick is with Emergency Practice Associates and will be providing occasional emergency room coverage. Dr. Rule is a board certified Radiologist with Virtual Radiology. He will be providing occasional Teleradiology coverage at Voyageur Radiology's request. The medical center board also approved the reappointment of the entire medical staff. They include eight active staff members, 56 consulting staff, 25 contract ER staff and 4 associate staff physicians. In addition 23 Allied Health Professionals  submitted applications for reappointment.

In another matter the board approved the purchase of a sander for a pickup truck used by the hospital's plant operations staff. The cost of the sander is $5,850 and will be used to sand the parking lots of the medical center.

Next Wednesday afternoon, the Van Diest Medical Center board will receive the initial proposal from the nurses union for a new contract. The board will then make its counter proposal followed by a closed door meeting between the medical center board and the union representatives.