Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Healthcare Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Finance committee reviews $500,000 pledge to VNA Health for Bloom Haven clinic; $250,000 proposed this year, remainder in 2026
Summary
Finance committee discussed a previously pledged $500,000 grant to VNA Health for a new clinic at the Bloom Haven redevelopment; staff proposed paying $250,000 within 45 days of council approval and the remaining $250,000 in the 2026 budget year.
City Chief Financial Officer Chris Minnick and finance committee members discussed a city pledge to provide $500,000 in support of VNA Health’s clinic at the newly completed Bloom Haven campus during the June 12 finance committee review and again at the June 17 Committee of the Whole.
Minnick described Bloom Haven as a $129 million mixed‑use redevelopment of the former Copley Hospital site that includes senior housing, medical offices and a clinic leased to VNA Health. He said the Bloom Haven Clinic was completed in April 2025 and carried an estimated construction and equipment cost of about $8 million.
The city previously pledged $500,000 but the amount was not included in the 2025 budget. Minnick told the committee the city and VNA have agreed to a two‑part payment plan: $250,000 to be paid within 45 days after council approval of an agreement, and $250,000 included in the 2026 budget and payable prior to June 30, 2026. The first payment would come from interest earnings on casino bond proceeds, Minnick said, and the 2026 payment would be determined during the 2026 budget process.
Alderman White asked why the $500,000 was not included in 2025; Minnick said the timing of the pledge and agreement occurred after the budget was advanced in the staff review process. Council discussion noted VNA’s role providing low‑cost care regardless of insurance status and the city’s desire to support neighborhood health services. Minnick said no city funds had yet been disbursed and that the resolution before the committee would authorize the mayor to execute a legal agreement consistent with the term sheet in the committee packet.
Committee members did not record a final council vote on the floor during the June 17 meeting; staff indicated the resolution would move through the council approval process and that the first installment would be released upon execution of the agreement.
