Hospital work nearing completion
By Sara QuamWhile the outside of the new Sioux Valley hospital and clinic has looked almost the same for a few months, what’s inside has taken shape.Down to the open, well-lit, and plum-accented décor, the hospital and clinic look much like they will when the doors open for business in July.At one time, 146 workers were on the site. Now, there are about 45.Superintendent for the job, Steve Nothdurft of Henry Carlson Company, Sioux Falls, said work has gone smoothly. Typical snags — like the slow delivery of Swedish vinyl flooring and touch-ups on drywall work — didn’t slow the project down."This has been a good one," Nothdurft said. "And I’ve done it all — from Wal-Marts to Memorial Middle School in Sioux Falls and a lot of other work for Sioux Valley."Nothdurft said the next month will be filled with ceiling tile installation, electrical work, cleaning and carpeting.The new hospital will open July 29, and the clinic will open Aug. 1. Planning for the move started one year ago and will continue until it’s final.Lois Hamilton is Chief Nursing Officer and serves on the building committee. She has worked with planners and the superintendent on the patient care areas."Overall, the privacy and satisfaction of patients will improve," Hamilton said.Some of the highlights to the new hospital and clinic campus, which will be called Sioux Valley Luverne Medical Center, are:oThere will be a larger emergency department with private exam rooms.oA chapel room for friends and families of patients. Hamilton said, "The location of the chapel by the ER waiting room is ideal."oA hospice room that is comfortably decorated with cherry wood. "It’s very important for people to have that option, and it’s set in a quiet corner of the hospital," Hamilton said.oFour spacious and comfortable birthing rooms, where mother, father and child will remain after the delivery. They are decorated and designed to feel home-like, with whirlpool tubs."All patient rooms are designed for comfort and privacy," Hamilton said. "Visitors are unable to see patients from the hallways when they walk by. All the rooms have their own showers."oA much larger and more private therapy area, which will include massage, speech, occupational, physical and cardiac rehabilitation.oA healing garden outside the inpatient area of the hospital, is being developed by the Master Gardeners.oTwo operating room suites in the hospital.o25 inpatient beds, and seven private outpatient rooms in the hospital.oTwo special care or intensive care rooms.o36 exam rooms in the clinic.oFour special procedure rooms in the clinic.oRadiology will have a new in-house CT service. Mobile units will still be used for MRIs.oA dining room/cafeteria area that opens to an outdoor patio eating area with a view.Both the hospital and clinic are accessed through the main entrance on the south. The main waiting room, next to the gift shop, offers spacious seating areas and even has a fireplace.Technology is changing and the space is planned for that. X-rays, for example, will go to a new, "filmless" system to save on developing costs and to make it faster and easier to retrieve files via computer for diagnosing.The registration area is also designed to be paperless. That transition could happen as soon as a year from now, and patients wouldn’t have to repeat information between the hospital and clinic."We’ve always seen ourselves as a team and work very well together," Hamilton said. The $17.8 million facility will more than double the space of the current hospital and clinic.Hamilton said hospital and clinic staff and physicians — but most important — the people served, will benefit from the change. "This is an exciting time for the community, and we appreciate all the support we have received," she said. "I am sure they will enjoy the benefits of this new facility. They will be able to be taken care of close to home and not have to travel to obtain the technology and comfort they deserve."
