New Roof Underway at Crockett Hospital After Years of Leaks

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

CROCKETT – Spring downpours brought a familiar problem inside Crockett’s hospital: water coming through the roof, with waste containers placed below to catch the leaks. Now, a roof replacement is underway, tackling one of the building’s most pressing needs while hospital leaders look ahead to other repairs.

Dr. Robert Grier, a Houston County Hospital District (HCHD) board member, said the problem had persisted for years, with the spring rains making the need for replacement especially apparent.

“The spring downpours that we had resulted in multiple leaks coming all the way through the roof to the floor and had to be caught in waste containers,” Grier said. “This has been going on for a period of time.”

HCHD had been setting money aside for the project, Grier said. During its summer meetings, the board went through advertising and bidding before selecting a contractor. He said board members were unanimous both about the need for the work and in approving the contract.

The project includes removing the old roofing and insulation, which Grier said was no longer functioning well, and installing new insulation and a new roof covering.

For Josh Abell, hospital administrator at Mid Coast Medical Center, the work addresses a problem the hospital could no longer afford to postpone.

“For many years, the upkeep of the building has kind of been kicked down the road,” Abell said. “There’s some really huge needs that the hospital has had. The roof is one.”

Abell said heating and air conditioning systems and imaging equipment are also among the needs he is tracking.

“I have a whole spreadsheet of items where we just need to get these things done and replaced,” he said.

The roof project also comes amid an unresolved insurance dispute. According to Abell, a storm several years ago damaged the roof and made existing leaks substantially worse. The insurance carrier denied the claim, he said, prompting an effort to challenge that decision.

Abell identified the contractor as Reclaimed Construction, which he said has worked on hospitals and schools elsewhere in Texas. The company had been helping with the insurance dispute, he said, and an agreement was reached to move ahead with replacing the roof while efforts to recover insurance money continued.

“In the meantime, we couldn’t wait any longer,” Abell said.

The payment arrangement helped make that possible. Abell said it allows payments over time, with part paid upfront and another portion toward the end, rather than requiring the entire amount at once.

“They really gave us a great financial agreement to get this across the goal line, because we didn’t have millions of dollars sitting in the bank,” he said.

The effort to get the insurance claim paid remains ongoing, Abell said. He also praised HCHD’s involvement in getting the work started.

“The hospital board has been absolutely phenomenal,” he said.

Grier explained that HCHD owns the hospital’s land and building, while Mid Coast operates the hospital under a contract. The distinction means the publicly owned facility and its day-to-day medical operations have different responsibilities, with the two organizations working together on building needs.

Mid Coast handles staffing, billing and contracting for hospital services, Grier said. Abell oversees the local hospital’s operations.

“The way the agreement works is that the hospital district and Mid Coast will work together the best that they can to address these needs,” Abell said.

The roofing work is expected to take about 60 days, depending on weather.

Grier said the contractor is limiting how much roofing it removes at a time so crews can complete that section’s work during the day and protect the building when rain arrives.

“They only take off as much roof, especially with the rain, that they can do in a day, so that we do not get damage when a rainstorm arises,” he said.

Both Grier and Abell pointed to the warranty as an important part of the project. Abell described the new roof as carrying protection for 20 years or more.

Completing the roof will address a major concern, but Grier said HCHD is already looking at what comes next. Corroded copper pipes are causing water damage inside the building, he said, and plumbing work will need attention in the near future.

“Mid Coast has been very good in the collaboration with us to bring about funding and get things repaired,” Grier said. “But it’s going to be an ongoing repair process for the foreseeable future.”

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]