Winneshiek Medical Center decides to do its own financing of energy saving projects

Winneshiek Medical Center will use its own funds to pay for much of the cost of new energy-saving projects at the hospital.

WMC has authorized a total of over $800,000 in projects throughout its building.  A state grant has contributed $208,000 toward that cost.  WMC officials had studied accepting a $600,000 loan from Alliant Energy to help pay for the rest of that cost.  However, hospital officials say the loan is not as good a deal for the hospital as first thought, so the decision has been made to front the hospital's own money.

The improvements made to the hospital facilities are expected to pay for themselves in savings in a short time, so WMC officials say they're not worried about the $600,000 outlay.