Early results show favor for Wishard bond question

A new Wishard Memorial Hospital that will be built with the help of $754 million in taxpayer-backed bonds was winning wide approval in early election returns.

Of 204 precincts reporting, Wishard supporters easily won in all of them 20,703 to 3,872. Countywide, there are 590 precincts.

Voters were asked to vote yes or no on the question of allowing Wishard to use taxpayer-backed bonds to help finance a new hospital.

The voter approval — required by state law — means plans will now quickly move forward on the 1.2 million-square-foot, 306-inpatient bed facility that will be built on the west side of the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis.

Health and Hospital officials have said the new Wishard complex could be completed by late 2013.

“There are a lot of people who don’t have insurance,” said Beech Grove resident Brenda Gallagher, who supported the Wishard Hospital referendum.

Gallagher said she was injured on the job and is treated at the hospital through Wishard Health Advantage

“It’s aggravating having to go there because they’re so overburdened, but it’s a godsend that they’re there,” she said.

“It’s old, they need a new facility for sure.”

Health and Hospital Corp. had said that Wishard’s current 17-building campus is too old to be updated and outfitted with modern electrical and mechanical equipment now common in hospitals. Some of the buildings on the campus date back 95 years.

Indianapolis’ business, political and civic elite communities lined up behind the project. Mayor Greg Ballard was one of the first public officials to speak out in favor of the project.

Citizens for Wishard, a political action committee, has contributed mass voter mailings and other get-out-the-vote efforts The group has received more than $1 million in donations from physician groups, IU Health and the IU Medical Group Foundation.

Susan Decker, spokeswoman for Citizens for Wishard, said Tuesday that group had 75 people going door-to-door and 175 people who worked phone banks to reach voters. The group also distributed 300 “Wishard Yes” yard signs.

Some voiced opposition to the Wishard project. Much of that criticism centered on doubts that Health and Hospital Corp. would be able to pay the estimated $604 million to $703 million debt over the 30 years of the project without having to tap into additional county property tax revenue.

“My only concern was and still is that (Health and Hospital Corp.) is not being forthright with everyone,” said state Rep. Phil Hinkle, R-Indianapolis.

Last week Hinkle and state Sen. Scott Schneider, R-Indianapolis, spoke out against the project.