Renovations on the existing medical center has begun. Most residents are asking where is our hospital? It has been a long process getting to this point says Peter Juul, chief facilities officer for Carrus. Juul's role is to oversee and execute development projects, plus being responsible for the physical code compliance and upkeep of the facilities. Carrus is an organization who expects to execute all work to a very high standard of finish and complete code compliance.
Juul said they had just started with removing the parts of the interior that has to be upgrade and made code compliant in conjunction with which they will provide new finishes throughout the interior.
The actual construction work is just beginning but it has been a long process and time consuming for the planning, drawing, specifications and so forth. The most time consuming and important part is to get approval from the State and Medicare for some issues with the corridor width that can not be practically brought into compliance.
Juul said the company is doing the project in two phases to get licensed and opened as quickly as possible. The first phase will only have four patient beds, which is the minimum requirement for licensing. This phase will include a full lab service, imaging, in-house patient pharmacy, emergency room, including a trauma room and the beds mentioned, along with all the code required administrative functions. The second phase will add an additional 21 beds. Juul said, “My task is to get the first phase licensed by the end of the year and the second phase nine months later. I believe it is a realistic goal.” “The only caveat being the availability of key equipment for timely delivery,” said Juul. “This should be verified by the end of this month.
The new hospital has basically been fully designed but the start of this project will hinge on the type of license that is granted. It would have to be designated as a Critical Access Hospital (CHA) before the construction can realistically start and this could prove to be another timely process.
Juul said, “The work we are doing to the existing hospital will ensure that the citizens can place their trust in us taking care of their serious health issues.”