By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

A potential buyer for the east half of Hillsboro’s old hospital building has stepped forward.

Hillsboro city council members on Tuesday heard that Rural Health Partners, the majority stakeholder of CAH Acquisition Company #5, owners of the newly constructed Hillsboro Community Hospital, is interested in buying the portion of the old building not used by Salem Home.

RHP wants to develop a local facility for treatment of veterans under a choice program for veterans’ care.

“There is a recent change in law that allows veterans to get treatment closer to their home,” city administrator Larry Paine said.

“Statistics show that almost 32 percent of veterans live in rural communities, yet they must travel extensively just to receive the treatment and services they need,” RHP CEO Jorge Perez wrote in a letter to the council.

Perez said the company anticipates providing dialysis, a cutting-edge program to reverse symptoms of diabetes, and inpatient and outpatient physical therapy as part of what the new facility will offer.

RHP proposes purchasing the building for $400,000 payable in two installments, with the first installment to be paid after a successful inspection and the second installment not more than 60 days later.

“The very, very nice thing about it is, it’s a move toward taking care of people who’ve been taking care of us,” Paine said.

Councilman Bob Watson said RHP will probably hire people to work in the med-

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ical facility, creating jobs and tax revenues.

“That’s kind of a win-win-win,” Paine said.

Paine said he has asked RHP to set a date and time for Hillsboro and RHP representatives to sit down together and discuss the prospective purchase.