CCMH Under Construction

9/12/2011

Once again, Carroll County Memorial Hospital (CCMH) is on the move, making renovations to their facility that will enhance their service to the community. The main focus of the current work is the Emergency Room (ER). Patrons will have noticed the construction work blocking the former ER entrance. Dirt work to raise the surface up to accomodate the new drive is visible from the parking lot. The ER is being replaced and when the renovations are finishd, CCMH will have an ER that is 25% larger and will have a waiting area.

Due to the renovations, patients needing ER services are asked to use the main lobby entrance. Jeff Tindle, Associate CEO at CCMH, stated that the front desk will be staffed 24 hours a day to accomodate emergencies. During the transition, ER services will take place in the GI Lab.

Other changes are being made as well. Much of the work is shielded behind temporary walls to protect the hallways from dust and clutter. The former courtyard, which Tindle stated was underused, will be put to better use as a Radiology Department. "The challenge will be getting a roof over it," he said, "but we’ll do it. We will upgrade and relocate the current Computed Tomography (CT) service as well as replace the two half-day mobile Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) service with an permanent in-house MRI unit. This will enhance care for the community," he added.

Medical Records (or Health Information) has already seen changes. "With the use of electronic medical records, we have less demand for space than before," he said. Health Information has been relocated to their permanent location on the southern hall of the retired Intermediate Care (IC) wing."

Former patient rooms and the IC wing are now being renovated for uses as offices and meeting rooms. "We’re doing lots of shifting," noted Tindle. "There will be a full-time education room with a permanent Smart Board. The training and education we can do here will be a real asset to the hospital. Some of the old rooms will now be back in service.

"The ER is our first priority," he added. "The ambulance services are working with us but we want the community to know how to access the emergency services during this transition". "When they come, there may be a short delay, since the front desk is handling more than one service." He noted that the process is "making extra work for people," but there has been no disruption to patient care. The work to the ER is expected to be concluded in three months, and the other departments in approximately six months.

This is the first phase of a long-term plan for the physical structure of the facility. This work is in addition to the renovations done over the last decade. "We fully appreciate the support of the community," stated Jerry Dover, CEO of CCMH. "We have put over $20 million back into the facility over the last 12 years."