Ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremonies are scheduled for 11 a.m. May 14 for the $70 million South Tower at West Georgia Medical Center.

“It’s on budget and on schedule,” hospital President Jerry Fulks told the Troup County Commission on Tuesday.

The county is backing a $45 million bond issue that enabled West Georgia Health to get better terms on financing.

Fulks said construction is expected to be finished April 19. Then it will take an estimated six weeks to move furnishings and equipment into the four-story building, which have cardiology services, and gift and coffee shops on the ground floor; an emergency department on the first floor; a 24-bed intensive-care unit on the second floor; and labor and delivery on the third floor.

West Georgia Health also has an ongoing effort to bring more diversity into the hospital workforce.

“We have more awareness among our leaders as they make hiring decisions,” Fulks said.

There’s been little turnover in leadership positions, but diversity will improve over time, he said, adding, “We’ve been more effective in recruiting African-American doctors than employees.”

He said six of the medical center’s eight “hospitalists” are minorities. Hospitalists are physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who focus on patient care in hospitals.

Richard English, the only black among the county’s five commissioners, said a lack of diversity has prompted some patients to go out of town for hospital care.

Meanwhile, the hospital has applied for a grant under the Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program, which aims to provide health information technology that achieves measurable improvements in quality, safety, efficiency and population health.

Each of about 15 communities in the United States will receive up to $15 million under the grant program, which is funded by federal stimulus money. The grant awards are expected to be announced in April.

In other business Tuesday, the County Commission approved increasing the 5 percent hotel-motel tax in the unincorporated area to 8 percent as authorized by a change in state law. The move requires local legislation in the General Assembly.

Projected revenues would increase from about $125,000 to $225,000.With the new tax, 3 percent will continue to go into the county treasury and 2 percent into tourism promotion through the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce. Of the additional 3 percent, at least half must be for existing tourism efforts, but the other half could go toward a tourism-related capital project.

Also Tuesday, the commission appointed English to succeed Commissioner Buck Davis on the Three Rivers Regional Commission.

Joel Martin can be reached at jmartin@ lagrangenews .com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 235.