A $21.2 million project will add 50,000 square feet to Community Hospital

McCOOK, Neb. — Banks have indicated their commitment to project loans that will finance a new $21.2 million, 50,000-square-foot addition to Community Hospital, McCook.

Sean Wolfe, the hospital's chief finance officer, and members of the hospital's board of directors discussed cash flow during the construction project at the board's monthly meeting on Dec. 19. Wolfe said the hospital has received notice from banks signaling their commitment for project loans.

In mid-January, hospital patients will be directed to use the front entrance and the emergency entrance for all appointments. Doors to the Rehabilitation Center and Medical Specialists Center will be closed during construction.

Community Hospital’s building project will include new, temporary and remodeled space that will expand the Medical Specialists and Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation centers and address these needs:

— Additional space for visiting specialists; allow better patient and staff flow; improved entrance, check-in and waiting areas; better patient flow to improve operations, patient experience and enhanced privacy; and new X-ray and improved space for orthopedic patients.

— Additional space for McCook Clinic providers and patients.

— Additional space for cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, creating a larger gym and department, and more space for additional equipment and between equipment to address safety issues.

— Reconfigure workspace in the kitchen for more efficient operation. (Currently using the same space and layout from the original 1974 building).

— Reconfigure the use of space in the laboratory for more efficient operation.

— Better location for the mobile cardiac testing trucks and PET CT truck; controlled environment for patient comfort and safety.

— Additional space for pharmacy hood for mixing chemotherapy and other complex drugs.

— Better parking for patients

— Move the Rehabilitation Center’s entrance for physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech to the hospital front.

The construction project, under the direction of Sampson Construction, is estimated to be complete in June 2021. Preliminary work has begun.

———

The Dec. 19 meeting was the first meeting of the new board, with newly-elected board member, Jana Kmoch, present to begin her term. Reelected to the board were Julie Gillespie and Curt Swanhorst.

Officers stayed the same as in 2018, with chair, Todd Thieszen; vice chair, Julie Gillespie; secretary, Lena Koebel; and treasurer, Curt Swanhorst.

The slate of board members chosen to serve on the Community Hospital Health Foundation board also remains the same as in 2018: Warren Jones, Kristin Stagemeyer, Todd Thieszen and Troy Bruntz, Community Hospital President and CEO.

———

Board members approved:

— New Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Conditions of Participation for home health and hospice programs, presented by Barbie Long, director of Community HealthCare and Hospice.

— Appointments for telemedicine staff, reappointments for courtesy staff and a reappointment for consulting medical staff.

— The quality management plan presented by Joleen Bradley, Performance Improvement and Quality Management Director. Bradley presented the performance improvement, patient safety and risk management report to the board. It included the status of corrective actions from the last DNV survey. She reported that 14 hospital leaders completed and received the basic certificate in quality and safety from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

———

The board reviewed and discussed the results of the director self-assessments from the Governance Institute report. Bruntz said that the assessments give hospital leadership a snapshot of how well board members understand their duties and roles on the hospital board. He said, “This helps us judge how well we are performing our role in educating the board during their terms in office.”

Training opportunities will be provided to Community Hospital board members and other area boards and administrative staff on Thursday, Jan. 17, through the Advisory Board Education Sessions on Population Health, Consumerism and the New Cost Mandate.

In other action:

Annual corporate code of conduct acknowledgments and conflict of interest disclosures were received from each board member.

Minutes were approved from the Nov. 14 regular meeting of the board of directors and the Nov. 8 regular meeting of the medical staff.

Multiple thank you notes were included in the board packet.