New Digs for Patient Accounts

Patient Accounts staff shows off their new office space.

Work is finally finished in the new business office (patient accounts area). The spaces has been remodeled, brand new furniture installed and all the computers and wires are where they should be.

In addition to the office space, a new private room has been included for private financial counseling. The space is beautiful and functional. Congratulations!

Sustainability

Check out this link:

http://www.jjca.com/who-we-are/news/2011/10/24/sustainability/

New room in our Pharmacy

Area for compounding hazardous drugs, such as chemotherapy meds.

Area for mixing non hazardous compounds.

In the midst of all the other construction going on at CMH, we've also been building a state-of-the-art room for compounding (mixing) sterile products in the Pharmacy. This room will be used for creating things such as chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics, and other compounds given intravenously.

The temperature and humidity controlled room is a "clean" room, and so foot booties and protective garb must be worn. There is an automatic handwashing and drying machine as well. The room is divided into two parts - one for mixing hazardous medications, such as chemotherapy drugs, and the other is for non hazardous compounds. There is a cordless phone system, so the person working in the clean room can contact someone in the pharmacy if necessary, as well as a pass through, so the person working can receive supplies from outside the clean room or can give another staff member a finished compound. Construction in the room is very nearly finished, but like any hospital construction, it must be certified before the room can be used. Certification is expected in about four weeks.

Canopy

The canopy outside the East Entrance will soon be receiving a facelift! Crews will soon begin a partial demolition of the structure and will then rebuild it to match the canopies and facade of the new addition. It's going to be a beautiful addition to the East Entrance.

To protect patients during the demolition and construction, a wooden vestibule has been erected around the outside door. Signage will be posted very soon to further remind patients and visitors that the entrance is still open.

Stay tuned! We'll soon be posted ER and business office updates (with pictures!)

Pathways of Progress

Parkhurst Landscaping on Monday began installing the Pathways for Progress along the sidewalk in front of the Phase 2 addition. The pathway is an ongoing CM Foundation fundraiser. The bricks have been purchased by members of the community and engraved in tribute or in memory of loved ones. Businesses have engraved their logos on bricks. For more information, or to purchase a brick, please call CM Foundation at (618) 546.2671.

OR Update

Even as we prepare to celebrate the opening of our beautiful new addition, work is underway behind the scenes to plan future renovation projects!

The project consultation team on Monday finalized plans for the operating room renovation. The goal is to have three fully functional OR suites, allowing for more surgeries and more efficient use of the space, which is better for our doctors and our patients. The hospital's building and grounds committee will review this plan at its August 15th meeting and the full board will consider the matter at its August 17th meeting.

Meanwhile, work crews are furiously remodeling the former business office/patient accounts area. As you may recall, the old office will connect to the new addition, and will be much larger with areas for more private consultations. Work began here after the new addition opened and should be complete in a matter of weeks. In the interim, the business office staff has relocated to the former administrative office suite and the former marketing office.

Community Open House

CMH will host a community open house here at CMH from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 21. We hope to see a big crowd!