Floyd County voters asked to approve way Charles City hospital is operated

CHARLES CITY — Besides the city and school board elections in Floyd County, there’s a countywide measure with voters being asked to change the way the Floyd County Medical Center is operated.

The former Floyd County Memorial Hospital was originally organized as a memorial hospital under a state charter under Chapter 37 of the Iowa Code that calls for an appointed board of trustees and puts funding decisions directly in the hands of the county’s board of supervisors.

If voters would approve moving the hospital to be governed under Chapter 347 would change the board to elected positions and would give the board the authority to levy property taxes.

Hospital officials say they want to move to Chapter 347 because of changes in the way the state’s Medicaid system is managed, resulting in more than $700,000 a year in reduced reimbursements.