Stormont Vail Health ‘extremely disappointed’ by decision made by Lyon County officials

LYON COUNTY ( KSNT ) – Stormont Vail Health issued a strongly worded reply to a recent decision by Lyon County Commissioners Thursday, which could delay the construction of a new medical facility.

MollyPatt Eyestone, spokeswoman for Stormont Vail Health, issued a press release on the decision on Friday, June 28. The hospital expressed disappointment in the county commissioners’ decision to place a six-month moratorium on reviewing building permits for medically related or associated structures.

Stormont Vail Health’s plan to build a $40 million new medical facility in the county to serve residents could be delayed because of this, Eyestone said. The moratorium is cited as county commissioners singling the hospital out in its construction plans.

“The Lyon County Commission’s action not only impacts Stormont Vail’s planned medical clinic, but may also have a detrimental ripple effect on other economic development efforts in Lyon County. Stormont Vail has invested significant resources already in the design and development of the new clinic. The delay caused by the Commission’s action will result in undue hardship to Stormont Vail, not only in continued development of a new facility, but also with respect to the expiring lease arrangement Stormont Vail has with Newman Regional Health for inadequate and outdated space Stormont Vail utilizes.

It is unfathomable how an elected body charged with improving the healthcare and economic
environment of Lyon County could take this step without any input from the local healthcare community, the business and patients who will be significantly impacted by these actions.”

Stormont Vail Health statement excerpt

The moratorium, dubbed Resolution 06-24 in the Lyon County Commission action session on Thursday, establishes a moratorium and provides for the suspension of certain types of zoning, land use and building permit applications on land in the county’s unincorporated area. It also directs that potential land development and zoning regulations be reviewed and developed.

In November last year, the hospital accused the commission of favoring Neman Regional Health, owned by Lyon County, to shut rival healthcare organizations out of the county.

27 KSNT has contacted the county clerk for feedback from the commissioners. The county’s website does not provide contact information for the commissioners.

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