New Rehab Center is commitment to future of community

When Gary Bieganski became administrator of Community Hospital 30 years ago, McCook was only a few years removed from relying on the old St. Catherine's Hospital for medical care.

The new hospital, on East H Street, covered about 45,000 square feet.

Thursday, he was understandably proud to take part in a groundbreaking for a new Rehabilitation Center that will push the total over 167,000 square feet, including all the buildings on the hospital campus plus the Southview Plaza; not far from four times as large as the original facility.

But Bieganski knows that buildings are only a tool to help the hospital reach the goal of its mission statement, "to excel at providing for the healthcare needs of our region through quality, efficient and patient-centered care."

In fact, one of the hospital's major building programs, completed in 1989, actually reduced the number of inpatient beds from 56 to 44 to meet the new emphasis on outpatient care. That project also added a new three-bay emergency room with an enclosed ambulance garage.

But hospital officials and medical staff know that the job of providing medical care is only complete once patients are up and around and functioning as nearly normal as possible.

That job will become more and more important as more of us who call ourselves Baby Boomers find ourselves nearing retirement age.

A response to a 2001 feasibility study, the new Rehabilitation Center will enhance Community Hospital's ability to help people recover from stroke, traumatic brain injury, age-related limitations, sports and other physical extremity injuries, major joint repair, cancer and cardiovascular and pulmonary disease.

It will feature an Aquatic Therapy pool, offering privacy, warm water, controlled room temperature and humidity and a built-in treadmill that will benefit joint replacement patients and others during their physical therapy.

Including 11,000 square feet of new construction and about 3,000 of remodeled space, the Rehabilitation Center will nearly triple physical, occupational and speech therapy space, double cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation space, reduce scheduling conflicts, provide added patient privacy and safety, additional equipment and staff as the demand grows.

And, a new dedicated entrance on the east side will offer more parking and better access to a facility that features natural prairie colors and a healing atmosphere.

Gary Bieganski, who has announced his retirement later this year, can be proud of all the hospital has accomplished over the last three decades.

And the Community Hospital board of trustees, Community Hospital Health Foundation, generous donors, hospital staff and, indeed, the community itself, should be proud of our commitment to the future.