Building project to enhance Surgery, Imaging and Lab Living our mission to improve the health of the communities we serve The focus of a new hospital building project is to add space for a new Surgery Department while improving lab and imaging services. These areas have experienced significant growth in the past five to seven years and are located within the portions of the hospital that were constructed in 1952 and 1971, which do not allow for expansion. The project seeks to “right-size” the hospital departments that have experienced the fastest growth over the past five to seven years. In addition, the Radiology and Imaging Department currently makes use of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit that is located outside of the hospital, requiring an outdoor walk by patients who need the diagnostic exam. The building project will create space for the MRI under the hospital’s roof, and the dedicated space will include design aspects that improve the exam’s comfort. “The appeal of Grundy County Memorial Hospital to our rural communities is that we are a ‘one-stop shop’ for most outpatient health care services,” says Hospital Administrator Adam Scherling, MHA. “When this project is complete in 2023, we will have expanded and modernized three key departments to improve access and patient privacy and to include the most up-to-date equipment.” The hospital’s Surgery Department offers total joint replacement along with other orthopedic surgeries, general surgery, foot surgery and digestive health procedures. The building plan includes two operating rooms to provide optimum efficiency and allow for future growth. L E A D E R S H I P C O R N E R Navigating the future As the world marks two years in a pandemic, we’ve been looking ahead to how our hospital can best meet your health care needs in the months and years to come. But I also want to take this moment to reflect on what we’ve been through together and recognize those of you who are hurting from the pain and loss brought on by the health crisis. As I prepare this article, our hospital has marked four full weeks without a COVID-19 admission, which is a welcome milestone. I want to thank and honor our amazing nurses, doctors and employees, who stepped up in immeasurable ways when our community members needed them. We stretched our resources and capabilities beyond what seemed possible two years ago, and we are grateful for all that our care teams and support staff have done to care for those who needed us. While we are moving forward, this is our commitment to you: The health and well-being of our community remains our top priority. With the development of effective vaccines and treatments for the virus, COVID-19 is not the unmitigated threat that it once was. We’ll continue to take recommended measures to protect our patients and staff while making sure that you and your family have access to safe, high-quality health care—now and in the future. Proud to be one of the nation’s top 100 critical access hospitals for the second year in a row! Once complete in fall 2023, a building project will expand the hospital’s footprint to the east and north toward Highway 175 with a new entrance drive, parking area and building canopy designed for the convenience of those who need surgery. Groundbreaking is planned for this summer. >>healthNEWS Adam Scherling, MHA, GCMH Administrator 2
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzIxMDA=