Roughly six months after vacating Cora Miller Hall, Newman Regional Health’s Board of Trustees passed a resolution that will ultimately lead to the building’s removal.
The resolution authorizes Chief Executive Officer Cathy Pimple to “proceed with all necessary steps” towards asbestos abatement and full demolition, including contracts, agreements and other related documents. Hospital administrators will also begin communications with different stakeholders as the process moves forward. The hospital, meanwhile, will begin a “thoughtful process” with Emporia State University connections and others across the community to honor the building’s history and legacy.
Miller served as the first superintendent for the hospital, known at its opening in 1922 as Newman Memorial County Hospital. While the building is set for removal, a statement from the hospital says “the legacy of Cora Miller Hall continues through strong partnerships with ESY and through every nurse prepared to serve our community with compassion and skill.”
Cora Miller Hall was built in 1972, according to Lyon County records, and had served as Emporia State University’s nursing training center for decades before ESU built the Nursing + Student Wellness Center that opened to students last month.
Meanwhile, the hospital’s January finances did not develop as budgeted.
At the monthly Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, Chief Financial Officer Holly French reported a net loss of over $630,000, which was unfavorable to budget by almost $220,000. Patient traffic was lower than expected in numerous categories — acute care, nursery, rehab, skilled patient care and observation — causing reductions in ancillary services like lab, imaging, pharmacy and cardiovascular procedures. Revenue for surgical, cardiology, primary care and obstetrics clinics was also below expectations.
Acute care admissions for January were 95, short of expectations by 36 and below January 2025 by 39 patients. Other admissions categories were much closer to budget and/or year-to-year comparisons. Nursery admissions, 28, were 3 less than budget and 13 less than January 2025. Skilled stay, rehab stay and ExpressCare admissions were either level or almost level when compared to budget, while emergency room visits were up slightly in the budget comparison.
Operating expenses were favorable to budget by over $113,000, due to staffing efficiency, while other operating revenue was favorable to budget by over $54,000.
Chief Executive Officer Cathy Pimple says patient numbers can vary widely on a month-to-month basis. She also says hospitals across Kansas have seen declining inpatient traffic for years.
Newman Regional Health statement on future of Cora Miller Hall
For generations, Cora Miller Hall served as the starting point for nurses who went on to care for patients and families across Emporia and the region. While nursing education has transitioned to a modern facility on the Emporia State University campus, the legacy of Cora Miller Hall continues through strong partnerships with ESU and through every nurse prepared to serve our community with compassion and skill. In the coming months, Newman Regional Health will begin a thoughtful process, including individuals with Emporia State University, to honor the history of Cora Miller Hall as the building is prepared for removal. Nurses and community members connected to the Hall across generations will be invited to participate in reflection, provide feedback, and help preserve and archive meaningful artifacts prior to demolition. All appropriate historical, regulatory, and community processes will be followed. While the building itself will be removed, its purpose endures in the lives touched by those who trained there. Newman Regional Health is deeply grateful for the generations of nurses who called Cora Miller Hall home, and we remain committed to serving our community with the same heart and dedication that defined its legacy.
“Cora Miller Hall shaped generations of nurses, and its impact reaches far beyond its walls,” said Newman Regional Health, CEO Cathy Pimple. “While the building’s chapter is coming to a close, its legacy lives on through our nurses, our partnership with Emporia State University, and our continued commitment to this community.”
