With a $21 million expansion of Russell County Hospital on the table, the local hospital’s board of directors wants to reassure citizens that the board is looking out for the best interests of the county and not banking on tax rates to pay for the possible doubling of the aging facility.

“We need to develop something to educate the public on why we’re making this decision,” said board member Sheldon Stephens at last Thursday night’s board meeting. “We need to be on top of things and get information out to the people,” Board Chairman Chris McQueary added.

The board discussed various marketing strategies at the board meeting in hopes of thwarting off negative notions of the county hospital’s proposed expansion.

Hospital leaders talked about radio and newspaper advertising as well as publishing information on the hospital’s website in hopes of educating folks why the expansion would not be a bad thing.

McQueary also asked CEO David Rasmussen to talk with his various department heads about how to share information out in public on the proposed expansion.

“They need to help get that out too,” McQueary said of the hospital’s employees. Stephens said with the possibility of 65 percent reimbursement on the $21 million figure the hospital would only be responsible for around $6 million.

“That makes it look a whole lot more feasible,” he said.

Upon reassurance from the USDA on funding for the expansion, the hospital, along with Alliant, is expected to roll out a marketing strategy designed to educate citizens on why the expansion is necessary.