SYLACAUGA — Final plans were under way Wednesday afternoon to begin moving patients safely into Coosa Valley Medical Center’s new West Wing.“We’re getting very close,” said Glenn Sisk, chief executive officer of the medical center.
The Alabama Department of Public Health conducted its survey last week and informed the hospital administration it could occupy the new building starting Wednesday.
“We are thrilled with those results. Tomorrow (Thursday) the first X-rays will be taken in the new hospital. Food services will move in Thursday night, and breakfast will be served in the café Friday morning along with lunch and dinner,” Sisk said.
Once doctors make rounds Friday morning, patients will be moved to their new rooms in the West Wing starting with the intensive care unit. The patients’ move will begin around 10 a.m.
After ICU patients are moved, patients will be moved into the Women’s Center and finally medical/surgery, Sisk said.
“All patients should be relocated by Friday evening,” he said.
The moving effort and completion of the West Wing, Sisk said, is a credit to the hospital staff, architects and general partners involved in the construction process.
“All did their job. The quality of this building is so great. We wanted people to walk in to this medical care facility and not feel like it is so much of an institution,” he said. “I think we have accomplished that with the soft earth-tone colors and many other amenities.
“We are thrilled with the building. It can hold its own with any hospital in this country.”
Sisk said the new health care facility will allow people the opportunity to stay close to home for treatment and care.
“People will have less reason to travel outside the area for treatment and can be hospitalized in the most modern hospital in the state,” he said.
The Moving In New Direction (MIND) interdisciplinary group met Wednesday afternoon to complete plans for the move into the new hospital.
MIND is under the direction of Amy Price, vice president of care services. Price said a group of about 20 hospital personnel have been meeting for eight months in preparation for moving patients to the new hospital.
“We are focusing on safety and excellence in details. Safety, safety, safety is the key in this move. We hope to start moving the patients by midmorning Friday and have them all settled in by supper,” Price said.
Christy Knowles, vice president of human resources, said there is a great deal of excitement among employees.
“Everyone is anxious to get into our new facility. There has been a lot of interest expressed by individuals from outside seeking jobs here knowing they will be working in a new hospital with new equipment,” she said.
Vanessa Green, vice president of continuum management, said while she is excited about the new hospital, she is very excited about the new dining facilities.
The dining room will no longer be known as the cafeteria but instead as the Hickory Street Café.
The new café will be set up Thursday night and open for breakfast Friday at 6 a.m. Hours for the dining area are 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The café also includes a grill featuring pizza, French fries and other tasty treats.
The café still features the usual entrée-style food and a salad bar.
The dining area will hold 130. A community dining room is available for meetings open to the public and seats between 35 to 40. Anyone wanting reservations for the community dining room should call 256-401-4070.
“This is one of the most exciting and historical times for us. But we must not forget when the hospital opened in 1945 or when the new ambulatory care center was built in 1998 or even when Sylacauga Healthcare Authority took over the hospital from Baptist Health System in 2004,” Green said.
Movement throughout the building has uncomplicated travel patterns accompanied by warm colors intended to provide a welcoming feel that many hospitals can’t deliver, Sisk said.
