Construction on its new $5.4 million emergency department, which will provide cutting-edge equipment and 16 treatment rooms, begins in April and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2008.
The hospital's emergency room currently sees nearly 9,000 patients a year and its Convenient Care Center sees an additional 7,000 patients, said head hospital administrator John Bartos.
Those days are rare, he added, but hospital administrators would rather they didn't occur at all. And so they're taking steps to expand the emergency department now.
Brian Kelleher, a physician in the emergency department and member of the hospital's planning committee, said it is important to have adequate space for patient comfort and privacy, and an expanded layout also promotes quality of care by providing more elbowroom for bedside equipment.
The emergency department expansion will also ensure that demand for urgent care services won't exceed the hospital's capacity to provide them, he said.
“We have such tremendous growth and anticipate continued growth in the valley,” Kelleher said. “The hospital administration and staff all feel the expansion will be part of staying ahead of the growth.”
Given the region's continuing growth, administrators at the nonprofit Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital felt they should proceed with the expansion as quickly as possible, said Veto “Sonny” LaSalle, chairman of the hospital's board of directors.
The hospital raised money to cover the project by selling tax-exempt bonds issued by the Montana Facility Finance Authority. It's a unique fundraising mechanism, but one that is working well for Montana's smaller health-care facilities, said Michelle Barstad, executive director of the authority.
Because they are backed by the Montana Board of Investments, the hospital bonds earn a high rating that qualifies them for a super-low interest rate, she explained. The bonds issued for Marcus Daly, for example, offer an interest rate of 4.37 percent.
“You can't get much lower,” she noted.
The hospital's $7.135 million worth of bonds sold out almost immediately, she added, and more than $2 million of those were purchased by people who live near the hospital.
“That's really good participation rates from the Hamilton community,” she said.
The hospital's future expansion phases include a new rehabilitation unit, a new two-story building, new heating and cooling systems, a remodeled diagnostic and imaging center and the addition of about 25 more beds, Bartos said.
“It's exciting times for us,” he said.
Indeed, the hospital's physical facilities are only one example of its commitment to providing quality health care, LaSalle said. The hospital is also investing in its technology and equipment, most recently with the purchase of a new 64-slice CT unit that is currently being installed.
And this spring, staff at Marcus Daly will begin a two-year training program meant to enhance overall customer service while maintaining quality of care, said Amy James-Linton, marketing director for the hospital.
The program, provided by the Baptist Health Care Leadership Institute in Florida, has been used to great effect in hospitals all over the country, she said.
“It's about building a culture that wows,” James-Linton said. “It's really all about enhancing the overall customer service.”
Administrators at Marcus Daly are hoping to make patients' visits a little more pleasant, knowing that although these visits involve a certain amount of unavoidable stress, their experiences in, for instance, the emergency room, can shape their perception of the hospital overall, LaSalle said.
“The treatment you receive sort of sets the stage about how you feel about the hospital in the future,” he said. “And we want that experience to be first-class.”
Two public sessions set
Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital is hosting two opportunities for public discussion about the hospital's current and future expansion plans. Both will offer architectural models of the hospital's new facilities and include a panel of six speakers.
The meetings will be held Wednesday in the hospital's B and C conference rooms. The first is from 1-3 p.m. and the second is from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Hors d'oeuvres will be served 30 minutes prior to each meeting.
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