Phase One of hospital construction makes steady progress

Still nearly a week behind schedule, the construction work at East Adams Rural Hospital is beginning to progress quickly. With the floors being poured and walls installed in the new edition of the hospital, the work has begun to focus around interior work in the facility.

Last month, the air handler units were installed on the roof and the ducts and pipes are being completed as well.

With sheet metal and piping being installed in the renovated portion of the building, Apollo Solutions Group Unit Manager Mike Fuentes said electricians have also been hard at work completing projects.

The building’s roof has been completed, minus the addition of sheet metal on the new portion of the roof. The basement in the new section is also built in, allowing contractors and electricians to begin to work within the building.

Now that the majority of the work has moved into the interior of the building, Fuentes explained crews will be moving quicker and the work will progress rapidly. He explained there is a lot of work being completed at once, and the hospital area under renovations will quickly begin to take shape.

One of the largest differences is the changes to the acute care wing and moving from eight rooms to six, Fuentes explained.

The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in mid-January, and with the completions, the clinic rooms will reopen and the conference room can be utilized. The new conference room will be located next to the kitchen and break room for employees, and near the administration offices and clinic rooms.

CEO/CFO Gary Bostrom said they are asking NAC for a price estimate to install an exterior door for easier access into the conference room for meetings.

Along with the completion of the clinic rooms and administration offices, the first phase also includes a new medical records room for the facility. The completion of the first phase of the project allows more clinic rooms to be utilized, but a few of the spaces will also be used as hospital rooms during the second phase of the project.

During a visit and inspection from the FAA recently, Bostrom said they notified him that the district may have to cut a tree down to 15-feet on the west side of the building because it could interfere with the landing zone.

Bostrom said he is waiting for a final statement before the district moves forward, as cutting the tree to that height would result in killing the tree or forcing them to remove it completely.

Alongside the south side of the building where the new generator is located the walls will begin to be constructed next week. A wall is being constructed around the generator to reduce the amount of noise neighbors hear when the generator is being used.

The Adams County Hospital District No. 1 Board of Commissioners will discuss the progress of the renovations and upcoming projects, as well as cover topics of operations and financials during the regular meeting on Thursday, Oct. 22.