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SECTION c • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019
Great facility, on time and under budget, HCMH achieves efficiency in all phases By KENT THOMPSON
When Humboldt County Memorial Hospital (HCMH) holds an open house this Sunday to celebrate its new expansion, people will see not only a modern and expanded space for patient care, they will see the largest building project in Humboldt County’s history, in terms of size and scope. It was just over two years ago that HCMH Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michelle Sleiter held a press conference and announced the construction of a twostory, 40,000 square foot addition to the hospital, as well as extensive remodeling to the front patient service area of the hospital. The new addition includes space for primary care medical providers through the relocation of the UnityPoint Clinic, inside the hospital. The area also has outpatient specialty services, therapy and rehabilitation services, cardio-pulmonary services, diabetic education, dietary support, patient education area, a wellness exercise room, occupational therapy suite, new space for the HCMH laboratory, and a new conference center that doubles the space of the ground floor room west of the cafeteria. The building project also includes renovated space within the existing hospital, including an expanded and new look for Genevieve’s Place, the hospital auxiliary’s hospitality area and gift shop, and a remodeled patient registration area providing more privacy for visitors and patients. To find out how the pro-
cess came to fruition, the Humboldt Independent visited with Sleiter and Chief Nursing Executive and Facilities Plan Manager for the project, Victor Bycroft. FIRST STEPS
Stepping back, it was March 2015 when discussions first began. “Our administration team discussed the where and how and why, and what steps we needed to take to get there,” CEO Sleiter said. “We started the strategic planning by developing a facility master plan with our wildest dreams of what should it be, what can it be, and then backed that off to what worked (practically and within a financial and funding framework),” Sleiter said. “We didn’t have a lot of open space, but we had space that could be realigned,” Bycroft said of the building needs. “We needed to get people into more appropriate spaces and provide better patient care, whether it was to our outpatients, visitors or whoever it happened to be,” he said. “We had potential for growth in a lot of areas, especially therapy, that could be realized with expanded space,” Bycroft said. The number of therapy rooms more than doubled to accommodate growing patient volumes and an expanding therapy staff. “If we wanted to see the vision we had for the hospital we needed more space,” Bycroft said. We asked the questions, “How do we best utilize the space we have and what do we need to do
to grow?” CULTURAL CHANGE
“We also needed to look at our culture and what we needed to do to make our hospital stronger. [Steps we have taken] have created more passion on the part of our employees.” Sleiter said. Beginning in early 2016, the hospital contracted with Chip Madera to work with the hospital leadership team and then all employees for training that focused on increasing employee satisfaction and engagement and creating a “WOW!” experience at the hospital for patients and people utilizing HCMH services. The training covered all departments and focused on demonstrating key service behaviors and communications to create an exceptional patient experience. “He (Madera) didn’t do the work, but he gave us ideas and tools and the process, but we had to build what our promise was. Without our staff being motivated to embrace change, adopt best practices and learn new ways of doing things, we could not have gotten to this point,” Sleiter said. “We had to show consistency and stability in leadership and help HCMH employees grow in that. We helped them grow and build a culture based on the employees and not the administration. That way, if administration completely changes, there is still a culture of providing excellent care that our employees can believe in and carry on,” Bycroft said. Sleiter agreed. “I don’t bring patients to this hos-
pital. I don’t touch their lives. So we Humboldt County Memorial Hospital have to have the frontline people "Building into the Future" Open House who share a vision and a culture of exwill be held Sunday, Nov. 24, from 1-4 p.m. cellence and creating that WOW! manager. had to step back and take a experience for the “Once we had the archi- look at the total price based patient.” “That’s a major part of tectural team and our dream on the way it was broken it,” Bycroft added. “You design, the first figures came down. The total bid was under budget and below the enhave to have a place where in just over $25 million. “The Board thought it gineer’s estimated amount. people want to go. Where people want to go to work, was wonderful, but they It allowed us to free up conwhere people want to go for weren’t comfortable with tingency fees regarding the that dollar amount and they bid,” Sleiter said. care. Ground was broke on “We can have the most were absolutely right,” April 3, 2017. beautiful facility there ever Sleiter said. “We did financial fea“We thought because of was, but we have to make people feel good about sibility studies with out- the early start in the spring coming here, or the facil- side entities. We looked at and having snow the mornity doesn’t do us any good,” our current state and future ing of the ground breaking predictions and determined that we were going to be Bycroft said. “I give kudos to Victor what was sustainable with- slowed up, but we were very for seeing the opportunity in this hospital financially. fortunate. There were only and the expansion capabili- Then we were able to settle three weather days from ties for Humboldt. He had on a comfortable number of the time we broke ground been here about nine months $19.2 million, with a push to when the building was at that time (early 2015) to keep the final costs below enclosed,” Bycroft said. He said there might have been a and had made some amaz- that amount,” Sleiter said. “In the final quarter of couple of more days in deing changes with the clinical teams and saw a lot of what 2016, we had everything lays because of striking bedwas needed. So, I had a lot ready to go and were seek- rock in the area where the of trust for his vision of the ing USDA financing. Inter- excavation was conducted. project, which began with est rates were so low at that “We’ve had more delays in creating a strategic plan,” time (around 2.5 percent) getting the parking lot finthat everyone was seeking ished than we did getting the Sleiter said. The CEO said it is grati- funds from them. Unfortu- building going,” he added. Keeping the foundation fying to see the community nately, we didn’t make the choose to come to the hos- cut, so we set it aside and re- stable because of the heavy pital more than it used to. To applied every quarter and it moisture was a problem, but see the positive comments took eight months to get that Sande was able to solve it. “We (the hospital) from patients every day and (a 40-year $13,925,000 loan the volume growth. “We from USDA). That didn’t changed the design plan have a lot of fun here,” she change the plans but set ev- halfway through the proerything back about three- cess by moving the lab into remarked. quarters of a year,” Bycroft the front of the new area, said. but it was something we felt DREAM BIG When bids were accepted we had to do,” Sleiter said. The Board of Trustees selected RDG Planning and in early 2018, Sande Con- “That change order was a litDesign of Des Moines as struction of Humboldt was tle over $200,000, but it was the architects for the project the lone general contractor. with Graham Construction “They came in with a pretty SEE EXPANSION, 4C of Des Moines as the project creative bid package. We
Humboldt County Memorial Hospital (HCMH) got out the shovels on Tuesday, April 3, 2018, not to shovel snow, although there was a measurable amount of that. The occasion was the public groundbreaking for the $16.9 million expansion project at HCMH, which kicked off last week and is expected to take 19 months. The HCMH Board of Trustees dug in while members of the hospital medical staff look on, with Board President Scott Curran(center) using an original shovel from the original groundbreaking more than 48 years ago. Pictured at right is HCMH CEO Michelle Sleiter. Humboldt Independent photo by Kent Thompson.
2c • Humboldt Independent • Thursday, NOVEMBER 21, 2019
The new front entrance to the UnityPoint Clinic at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital is pictured.
UnityPoint Clinic and Humboldt County Memorial Hospital all under one roof The UnityPoint Clinic is now under the same roof as Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. No more walking across a parking lot for tests at the hospital. Another great benefit is the collaboration that is possible. “Not only are various departments able to collaborate easier, but with more space it allows us to incorporate co-location where the provider can sit along side of the clinical team members. It’s more efficient and allows more live time communication and creates more timely communication with our patients,” D’Etta Lester, Clinic Administrator, said. Lester said having the clinic attached to the hospital is huge for patient care. “Trying to push a wheelchair through the snow to get from the clinic to the hospital is not ideal for a sick patient,” Lester said. UnityPoint Clinic moved into their new space on July 29. “We spent a lot of time planning and preparing so it felt like home right away. The workflow feels so natural,” Lester said. In addition to three more exam rooms for a total of 22 exam rooms, workspace has been greatly enhanced. Even the hallways are wider and much easier to navigate. There’s additional storage and the close proximity to the hospital means it’s easier for patients to visit the lab, x-ray department, rehab and more. “Patients are able to receive the services they need much easier. It brings our teams together. We’re not the same as the hospital but
it makes for easier collaboration and the patient wins,” Lester said. Specialists who visit the Outpatient Specialty Clinic are right next door. “Our providers can go see them and talk to them. It all makes for a better experience for the patient,” Lester said. The new clinic also is the location for the Humboldt Family Medicine Walk-In Clinic, which is open Friday afternoon and evening from 4-8 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The regular Humboldt Family Medicine Clinic hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lester said the feedback from patients has been very good about the new clinic. “We’ve worked very hard on providing access for our patients. The focus has been to create more access for people to get in to see a provider,” Lester said. UnityPoint employs approximately 30 people at the Humboldt Clinic. The clinic is set up for eight providers. With the clinic moving on July 29, patients navigated their way to the clinic through a rear entrance to the hospital and down a long hallway. Now that the parking lot is open it will provide direct access for patients right to the clinic and hospital. “We’ve had a ton of positive feedback and having entry through the front door makes it even better,” Lester said. A patient may not see all of the positive benefits of having the new clinic.
“They see a nice, clean updated building that’s easier to navigate through. Having a nice work environment, easier collaboration all enhances everyone’s experience,” Lester said.
Christie Vitzthum and Jan Bratland are pictured in one of the new patient exam rooms in the UnityPoint Clinic at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital.
More spacious work areas allow for more collaboration between providers and staff at the new UnityPoint Clinic located at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. Kris Madison and Brittany Peters are shown collaborating in a new pod area at the clinic.
This is the 1969 cornerstone that contained the time capsule. Submitted photo.
Steel siding, glass windows and even some brick façade work was visible on the east side of the new 40,000 square foot addition at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. Construction progress remains ahead of schedule. Sande Construction of Humboldt is the prime contractor for the $18 million project. Photo courtesy of Mardi Ratzlaff, HCMH director of Community Relations.
This is the copper box that contained the 1969-70 time capsule at HCMH.
Thursday, NOVEMBER 21, 2019 • The Humboldt Independent • 3c
Therapy Department gains needed space with new addition and remodeling project at HCMH Growing from a staff of four to a staff of 20, the therapy department at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital was bursting at the seams. The addition and remodeling project at the hospital has enabled the therapy department to offer the space needed to better serve patients. The therapy departments are now located on the second floor of the hospital. “It’s a great layout and flow. Our therapists have their own space to document, where before it was hit and miss. We had a great team before and now it’s even better. We have so many options for our patients,” Tanya List, Director of Therapy, said. Therapy departments include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, massage therapy and athletic trainer. There’s also hand therapy, pediatric therapy and even an ADL (Activities of Daily Living) lab. The therapy department now has space for offering classes such as the Stepping On fall prevention class, Tai Chi exercise movement class, Parkinson’s group exercise program, a Parkinson’s speech program called “Speak Out.” They also have a new service designed to help with migraines. “We didn’t have the space before but now we feel the possibilities are endless on the classes we can offer,” List said. They went from five treatment rooms to 12 treatment rooms, plus additional treatment rooms for massage therapy, lymphedema, speech therapy and hand therapy. They used to have a small room for pediatrics. Now they have a mini gym for pediatrics with appropriate equipment. There’s even a swing from the ceiling to help work on various tasks. “We’re really growing in pediatrics with people com-
ing from quite a distance,” List said. Cardiac rehab has its own expanded space with a variety of exercise equipment. New exercise equipment has been added including a Nu-Step bicycle, weight machine, elliptical, treadmill and more. “The equipment is similar to what is at the Humboldt Recreation Center which makes for an easy transition for patients to continue their exercise program,” List said. “We’ve been a part of the planning process for this addition and remodeling project from the beginning with the goal to be able to better serve our patients,” List said. “For a rural hospital to have the quality and number of therapists we have is pretty amazing. Our therapists establish relationships with patients and word of mouth has helped fuel our growth. Our therapists care about each patient and they’re excited to come back and see us.” Not only do the therapists see patients at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital, therapists also go to see patients where they live if necessary. They see inpatients while they are still in the hospital. They visit patients at Springvale, Long Term Care and at home. “We see a lot of patients because they are in pain. There are a lot of different options to work on reducing pain. Insurance companies encourage therapy before medication or surgeries,” List said. Therapy patients are referred by their physician. The length of time for therapy can vary. For a patient who is transitioning back to their home, the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) lab features a full kitchen with a bedroom, a bathroom with a bathtub and even a washer and dryer. “It’s like a mini apartment. We bring patients up and work on daily living
Some of the exercise equipment in the therapy department at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital is pictured. Much of the equipment matches equipment available at the Humboldt Recreation Center, making for an easy transition for patients to continue their therapy. skills and make sure they are safely transitioning. Our focus is on quality of life and a successful transition home,” List said. List said the collaboration between all providers and hospital departments is better now that they are under one roof. “Patients can come right up from downstairs, so there’s a quicker turnaround for treatment,” List said. “We feel very spoiled and grateful for the community support and that our administration trusts us and allowed this to happen. Our promise to our patients is to be there for every step of their healthcare journey.” List said. “I foresee our growth continuing as we add more to meet the needs of the community.” Tanya List is the Director of Therapy at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. With a staff of 20, the therapy department was bursting at the seams and welcomes the new space from the recent addition and remodeling project at the hospital.
The Activities of Daily Living lab gives patients the opportunity to transition back to their home safely.
THE STRENGTH OF OUR COMMUNITY JUST GOT A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH.
The therapy department used to have a small room for pediatrics. Now they have a mini gym for pediatrics with appropriate equipment. There’s even a swing from the ceiling to help work on various tasks.
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A conference room is used for patient education in the second floor therapy department area.
4c • Humboldt Independent • Thursday, NOVEMBER 21, 2019
Comprehensive and state of the art Diabetes Center According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC) more than 100 million American adults live with diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes comes in many forms, Type 1, Type 2, Gestational, and LADA diabetes. The Diabetes Center at the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital has experienced staff along with a new modern space to help serve our population with diabetes. The Diabetes Center is now located on the second floor of the new addition at the hospital. This new space allows patients to see Jen DeWinter, Certified Diabetes Educator, in a one on one setting or in a group setting. Jen’s new office is spacious and has room for the patient and family members to attend the visits together. There is also a small group room that allows space for group seminars and consultations. This is important for patients with diabetes, as
often diabetes effects loved ones. It is encouraged for patients to bring family to education sessions for support and to learn along with the patient. Services offered by Jen are: diabetes basics, education for newly diagnosed diabetes, treatment of hyper/hypoglycemia, insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring, medication information and training, blood sugar monitoring, problem solving, support, and diabetes prevention. Amanda Thul, Registered Dietician, also has a spacious office on the second floor of the new addition at the hospital. A quality Diabetes Education Program includes both a Dietician and a CDE who provide education for patients with diabetes. Amanda is an integral part of the diabetes education services offered in the diabetes center. Amanda offers a number of outpatient ser-
vices from her new space in addition to diabetes education. Those services include Medical Nutrition Therapy for weight management, heart disease, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, gastrointestinal conditions, and high blood pressure. She also is knowledgeable in meal planning, portion control, and nutrition label reading. A Body Composition Analysis machine is available in Amanda’s office and she is also able to provide the test and analysis with patients interested in finding out body fat percentage. The hospital is fortunate to have the experience of both Amanda and Jen to provide this education to our community. For people looking for help managing their diabetes please contact the Diabetes Center at 515332-7643. For nutritional services contact Amanda at 515-332-7608.
Jen DeWinter (seated), and Amanda Thul are pictured with one of the new pieces of equipment in the new Diabetes Center.
Expansion
Amanda Thul, Registered Dietician, (left), and Jen DeWinter, Certified Diabetes Educator, are excited about the new Diabetes Center located at the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital.
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CONTINUED FROM FRONT
the best decision we made. We can see it already working as we had envisioned. “You would think the constructing of steel that high in the air would be the most time consuming, but it was really the opposite,” Sleiter said. “The day-today detail decisions about little things were a lot more time consuming.” Sleiter said there was a lot of give and take in the process and not everything that was desired, was included. The project manager from Graham commented halfway through the project that the hospital had not even touched any contingency funds, and “that never happens,” Bycroft proudly relayed. “The time we had to plan upfront helped. We had a good team to work with and some very specific ideas on what we wanted,” the facilities plan manager said. “Our biggest goals from an appearance aspect, is that it had to fit with the community. That was part of the rework with the architects. We’re not in Des Moines, we’re in Humboldt, so we wanted a look that would fit in with community expectations,” Bycroft said. “The second part was that we wanted to tie in the new construction with the original hospital and other additions in terms of colors and materials, so there was a good aesthetic,” he added. “The same holds true for the interior design,” he said. “We wanted to keep it within community expectations. “Our number one concern is what is the flow and functionality and can we provide people with a better experience and I really think we’ve achieved that,” Bycroft said. LIVING UP TO THE PROMISE
“Our staff here has been so patient during this past two years and is working so hard to deliver on the promise and culture we have created. “We tell people we don’t point, we walk. Having people coming in the back door, everyone is going to need some help, so our front registration staff has been putting untold miles on their feet every day, showing people how to get to new locations, or some areas where departments have been temporarily housed,” Sleiter said. “Everyone has work to do, but they’ve done it with a smile throughout, and they realize our work doesn’t matter without the patient, so they have to be our number one priority, always,” the CEO said. In reviewing one of the old facility master plans, it was 38 years ago that it was first broached of having doctors’ offices inside the hospital doors. “For whatever reason or reasons, it never happened. So it’s kind of fun to deliver on something that was considered a good idea that long
HCMH’s Victor Bycroft and Michelle Sleiter stand at the entrance to one of the therapy rooms on the second floor of the 40,000 square foot addition to the county hospital. Therapy is one of several growth areas at the critical access rural health care facility. Humboldt Independent photo. ago, and has even more merit today in our current health care environment,” Sleiter said. “The improved functionality and level of service of having all patients under one roof for all services was understood even back in the late 1980s,” Sleiter said. “Getting the UnityPoint Clinic in here and being able to provide them with more space and better services for their patients was huge,” Bycroft said. Their clinic area expanded from about 9,000 square feet in the old building to 12,000 square feet in the new addition. There is now room for eight providers and two nurses stations to accommodate 12 nurses each. The open air layout of the clinical office area is something that Dr. Cassidy Long has wanted since he arrived in Humboldt more than a year ago. “It is much more efficient and improves communication,” Long said in an interview earlier this year. “Our outpatient specialty clinic is a growth area, but before we just didn’t have the space to bring in more providers,” Bycroft reported. “While the number of rooms isn’t a huge difference, the rooms are slightly larger and more comfortable for the provider and the patient. Also, we have offices for each of the visiting physicians,” the hospital chief nursing executive said. “I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews from the providers and their staff about the new patient space,” he said. The reason for moving the lab to the new area was severalfold. “The lab was the farthest department from the front registration desk. It wasn’t far considering that you can walk a city block and go on three floors to get to different departments in a big city hospital, but it was far for our patients. We moved them to a very centralized location right next to patient registration. It’s probably the most utilized outpatient service we have.
We gave them a little more square footage and an improved patient layout to provide services,” Bycroft said. “They are right in the center between long-term care, inpatient, ER and the clinics, so there is easy access.” “Ninety percent of what we do on an outpatient basis is right inside the front door, which I couldn’t be more excited about for our patients,” Sleiter said. And Springvale Independent residents love the fact that they have another halfmile to walk around the hospital! Another huge space need was therapy. The department has grown from four providers to 19 in the span of a little over five years. “They were limited what they could do, which limited the number of patients they could see and referrals they could take, because there wasn’t the room,” Bycroft commented. “They now have 3.5 times the amount of space and 3.5 times the number of treatment rooms. It has allowed them to offer additional services like lymphedema (swelling of arms and or legs due to damage of the lymph nodes) therapy and pediatric therapy. They have room for their exercise and therapy equipment. They’re not having to move things about and relocate because another therapist with another patient is coming in,” Bycroft said. “They are a great group and always have been. The morale change is unreal. You should have seen the smiles the day they moved in this past summer,” the nursing executive said. “The cardio-pulmonary department has about 2.5 times the space and that was important because it allowed them to separate their services,” Bycroft said. “Before it was one big room with no privacy. Now we have additional space so each patient can have a one-on-one experience, whether it’s cardioSEE EXPANSION, 10C
Thursday, NOVEMBER 21, 2019 • The Humboldt Independent • 5c
Cardiopulmonary Department wants to make the patient experience the best Patients now entering through the main entrance need only take a few steps to access the second-floor elevator or stairs. Once there, they are greeted by a friendly receptionist and invited to wait in the bright, airy, comfortable waiting area. This new waiting area is the first of many new components that have enabled the Cardiopulmonary Department to increase patient privacy and streamline workflows to make the patient experience the best one possible. The first room in the Cardiopulmonary section is the spacious gym. “Patients really like all the space and how nice it is,” says Val Cleveland, RN. The gym is utilized by both Cardiac Rehab and Pulmonary Rehab patients. There is something for everyone, whether you are recovering heart bypass surgery, suffer from congestive heart failure, are managing COPD symptoms, or are getting in shape for a heart or lung transplant. Frosted glass windows provide privacy for those exercising and allow staff and patients to take advantage of the new SmartTV and its music streaming options – they have found that music is one of the best mood boosters! Three NuSteps have been relocated from the previous area and are patient favorites. A centrally located monitoring station allows staff to oversee patients as they use the variety of equipment that has been purchased for the new gym. New equipment includes an arm ergometer, recumbent bikes, treadmills, and dumbbells. But, the crown jewel of the new gym is the
CyberCycle. The bike offers over 40 virtual roads and games while patients steer and shift like a real outdoor bike. Unique user IDs enable patients to look back at their past exercise sessions and compare their statistics to one another. The end of the room houses a large window facing east. “Patients love being able to look out the window while they exercise,” says Darla VanGronigen, CRT. Two new offices off the gym provide ample room for staff to work on charting and plan new education programs. Windows provide a view to the outdoors as well as a view into the gym to allow staff to always have eyes on the patient. Down the hall is the large new pulmonary function testing room. Inside you will find custom millwork made to house the various tanks needed for complete pulmonary function testing. There is plenty of room for a patient using a wheelchair to access the space as well as seating for family to join the patient should they choose to do so. A large window makes the patient feel less enclosed while sitting in the testing booth. “The window was my biggest ask for this space. That, and more square footage. Patients tend to feel anxious in small, windowless spaces and that can affect patient effort, reproducibility, and overall quality of the test. The new PFT room is a dream come true. I’ve been doing pulmonary function testing for 13 years now at HCMH and it’s truly one of my favorite parts of my job. This new room is nothing short of incredible,” says
Courtney Palmer, CRT, Di- cise equipment. And the big Therapy, the Diabetes nurse, with, we are just as accesrector of Cardiopulmonary. TV!” says VanGronigen. and the Dietitian, as well sible as ever. It has been Around the corner from “Everything!” says as just the proximity that amazing to be a part of this the PFT lab you will find Cleveland when asked the we are to one other, allow project firsthand from start two fully functional sleep best part of the new area. us to take a true team ap- to finish. The new addition study rooms. Being on the “The space, the windows proach to our patient’s care. is a true blessing to our staff, second floor now ensures a to look out, more options to The advantages of having our patients, and the entire quiet atmosphere for a good use for education. The sleep the clinic right downstairs community,” Palmer recaps. night’s sleep. Dark tinted study rooms are very nice are too many to list. Again, The Cardiopulmonary windows and adjustable fans and closer to our department enhanced teamwork and the Department is staffed by allow the patient to make the now.” ability to collaborate on im- three fulltime employees, room feel as close to home “What’s the best part of proved workflows and good Monday-Friday, from 7 as possible. “When I was our new area? Where do I communication is key. I was a.m.-5 p.m. Certified Respilooking at new furniture and start! The new space has a little worried that being ratory Therapists Courtney linens, I really wanted it to really allowed us to rethink upstairs would disconnect us Palmer and Darla VanGrofeel comfortable, but also and be creative with how from our coworkers and pa- nigen and Registered Nurse sleek and clean. We picked we can manage our patient’s tients in the ED and IPC, but Val Cleveland have a comcrisp white linens and chose care. The various shared with the new technology that bined total of 73+ years in specific artwork and pillows spaces that we have with the hospital has equipped us healthcare. to bring in a pop of color. It definitely feels more like a nice hotel then a hospital room,” says Palmer. The last room in the Cardiopulmonary area is the exam room. This room is used for various outpatient cardiopulmonary tests, including EKGs, Holter monitor, apnea testing, and overnight oximetry. The ample storage space and adjustable exam chair allow staff to always have a dedicated space for not only doing these tests but also downloading results and transferring them to be read by the physician. “I love everything about the new area. The spacious gym for The new Cardiopulmonary Department’s spacious gym is a plus for both patients and staff. the patients and The gym is used by Cardiac Rehab and Pulmonary Rehab patients. Pictured (l to r): Val a variety of exer- Cleveland, Courtney Palmer and Darla VanGronigen.
Pictured (l to r): Darla VanGronigen, Courtney Palmer and Val Cleveland with one of the new pieces of equipment in the Cardiopulmonary Department.
Courtney Palmer, CRT, Director of Cardiopulmonary, tries out the new CyberCycle in the new Cardiopulmonary Department, as Val Cleveland, RN, (left), and Darla VanGronigen, CRT, (right) look on.
Congratulations to
Humboldt County Memorial Hospital on your new addition!
This is a look down the hallway of what will be patient exam rooms in new UnityPoint Health — Humboldt Family Medicine Clinic at HCMH. The wing is under construction and plans are to occupy the area by late July. Humboldt Independent photo, April 2019.
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6c • Humboldt Independent • Thursday, November 21, 2019
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Thursday, November 21, 2019 • The Humboldt Independent • 7c
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HUMBOLDT COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ON YOUR NEW ADDITION!
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8c • Humboldt Independent • Thursday, NOVEMBER 21, 2019
New location, added space for laboratory By PHIL MONSON
One of the big, noticeable changes for patients at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital will be the new, expanded medical lab. Phil Rose, laboratory director, and Sherry Kunert, assistant director, say it is the most significant change for their department in the three plus decades they have been here. Kunert joined HCMH in 1984 and Rose joined HCMH in 1985. “Our old lab was located in the north side of the hospital ever since I’ve been here. We’ve expanded since that time, but it was kind of cobbled together,” Rose said. “We expanded when we could a couple of times, but it was not as efficient as what we have now.” “Now we don’t have patients or staff members walking from one end of the hospital to the other,” Rose said. “This is more efficient when a technician is working here by themselves.” “The other lab was very narrow trying to get through it. In fact, only one person could only be in that aisle. If somebody was working in that aisle, you had to go around the other way because there wasn’t room for two people to go through,” Rose said. “The new lab has a very modern look and it certainly is very efficient,” Rose said. “Over 90 percent of our work is outpatient so down at the north end of the hallway was a long way for patients to have to go. Now we are towards the front of the hospital so that makes it a lot nicer for our patients,” Kunert said. “We have a registration desk right here in front of the lab. People get registered and come right back in and get taken care of.” The change and expansion will coordinate well with the health clinic now located inside the same building and just down the hallway. The HCMH lab has
nine technicians, which includes a PRN. “Having the clinic in the building here is so beneficial. Before when the clinic was separate, having to walk back and forth between the two buildings…crossing the parking lot, especially with bad weather, was certainly not convenient for everyone,” Rose said. “We have more square footage than we had in the old lab but the big change is our new lab is much more efficient and is laid out so much better to serve our needs,” Rose said. “The proximity for the core tests with our patients that we serve on a regular basis is a huge benefit. Having the open aisles and the counter work space makes the flow so much better in our new lab,” Kunert said. “We have to do two things. We have to be able to work by ourselves and we have to have facilities and work places for all the technicians when we are here together on a regular business day,” Kunert said. “It’s a magic combination of being able to have extra space and yet, when we need to work by ourselves, we can still do that efficiently.” “Like any new place, you have to get used to where everything is now. I just did the inventory the other day and that is easier to do now because the work station has the complete supply rather than having a separate supply room,” Kunert said. “The extra supplies are right there so if you don’t see it, then you must have to order it.” “Like Sherry says, having the supplies right there where you are working is huge when you need to replenish an item,” Rose said. “It saves time and makes your work more efficient,” Kunert said. “We were storing a lot of supplies down in the basement before because we just did not have room in the old lab,” Kunert said. “So we
Phil Rose and Sherry Kunert inside the new medical laboratory at the hospital. spent a lot of time going into the basement to restock our supplies.” “We had just purchased a new chemistry analyzer before we made our move. We were able to squeeze it into our old lab but now it is laid out much better in our new lab,” Rose said. Rose says the original building plan did not include moving the lab to the new location. It was an afterthought after original plans came out, but it has turned into a good move. “The administration noticed the amount of people coming in for lab work and the amount of distance they had to go to get to the laboratory,” Rose said. “During the construction phase, we had a temporary draw station where we were drawing from 7 to 10 a.m.
They noticed a lot of people coming in for their lab work,” Rose said. “They felt we needed to get the lab closer to the front of the hospital and close to the clinic,” Rose said. “If we had not moved the lab, the new addition would have increased the distance from the main door to the lab in the north end,” Kunert said. “We have a lot of elderly patients and there are people with mobility issues. Adding more hallway distance would be hard on those people.” “We have shifts where we are covered until 3:30 a.m. Between 3:30 and 6 a.m. we sometimes take calls if we are needed to come in,” Rose said. “We provide 24hour coverage where we have somebody here on sight or somebody on call.”
“We did right around 140,000 tests and procedures last year. We average about 30 walk-in patients per day,” Kunert said. “I think it is surprising to some people how much work we do in our lab. Less than 5 percent of our tests are done at a different lab,” Rose said. “In those situations, we have a currier who picks up the samples and the results are interfaced back into our computer system. Most of those are back within a day or two.” Mardi Ratzlaff, director of community development, marketing/foundation, says patient satisfaction scores in the department ‘have increased greatly.’ “Our patient satisfaction scores increased greatly when we’ve had our lab draw room right inside the
registration desk. This was a last-minute but good decision on behalf of Michelle (Sleiter) and the administrative team,” Ratzlaff said. “Public health was originally going to occupy this space but moving the lab here has been a great move.” “We do quite a bit of lab work for the clinic, which is nice and convenient, but we also do work for providers at other locations. Last month we did work for over 90 different providers,” Rose said. “We do work for providers at Mayo Clinic, University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City, Clarion, Fort Dodge and all over the country.” “People have the choice of getting their lab work done wherever they want,” SEE LABORATORY, 9C
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Thursday, NOVEMBER 21, 2019 • The Humboldt Independent • 9c
Laboratory
FROM 8C
Kunert said. “If you see a provider somewhere else, you can still have your lab work done here and we can get the results to the provider out of town.” Ratzlaff noted the Humboldt lab has been deficiency-free for the last 12 consecutive years. “From a state survey perspective, that is an extremely admirable statistic,” Ratzlaff said. “Kudos to the team and Phil’s leadership. It is definitely something for us to be proud of and very prestigious. And it is right here in Humboldt.” “We are a CLIA (Clinic Laboratory Improvement Act)-certified lab in three areas and we are certified for all three of those,” Rose said. “Those areas cover hematology, chemistry, urinalysis, blood-banking, surology and microbiology.” “Our staff are also certified to do drug testing for local businesses, DOT and non-DOT, along with drug and alcohol testing for those businesses,” Rose said. “Our room is set up for that type of testing.” Kunert says the new lab has positively impacted the work of the entire lab staff. “It is a beautiful new facility and I enjoy working in the new facility. I might not have changed jobs but I have changed location and so I now have a better job,” Kunert said. “Everybody on our staff agrees with that.”
Increased space has made work more efficient in the new hospital medical laboratory.
The draw room of the new medical laboratory.
Ann Almond (right) and Hannah Peed shown here inside one of the new rooms of the hospital laboratory.
Narrow aisles are no longer an issue in the new hospital medical laboratory. Technician Steve MacLeod shown here in the spacious new medical laboratory.
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The new medical laboratory has a spacious waiting area.
10c • Humboldt Independent • Thursday, NOVEMBER 21, 2019
Expansion
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pulmonary function, education or sleep studies. “Our diabetic education team do a lot of their teaching, and consultation in their office space, so they have more room. We also have a group education room for them in a welcoming environment,” Bycroft said. “We shifted some things around, so we were down to just the one conference room for meeting space,” he said. A large conference room on the second floor was constructed that can comfortably hold 102 for a large meeting or 64 people at tables for luncheons. “We had our first meeting there recently with 50 people. We would have been on top of each other in the old conference room with 50 people,” Bycroft said. “Education is vitally important and we have to have a good space to do that.” He mentioned that Region 7 Emergency Management has already planned a couple of trainings at the hospital, so there is space for ancillary groups in addition to hospital related functions. Sleiter said Genevieve’s, the popular hospital auxiliary operated coffee and snack bar and gift shop reported $16,000 in gross sales during the first month of re-
opening. “That’s awesome for the auxiliary to provide scholarships and support to the hospital. People enjoy meeting there and the new space is more attractive with more gift items and a small outdoor patio if the weather ever gets nice,” Sleiter said. WHAT’S NEXT?
“For the first time in over five years we actually have some surplus space. Before, we were looking for a closet to put someone in. Now, we have some breathing space and a little time to evaluate,” Bycroft commented. If your keeping a scorecard, the old cardio-pulmonary/therapy area is now patient registration and part of the new laboratory. The old outpatient specialty clinic will be remodeled, but it will also allow a partial expansion of emergency room services and infusion therapy. Public health is also relocated in the hospital to near the north door, and materials management had a temporary move into guest suites in Springvale Independent Living. Now, those suites can be rented again and materials management can move back to their old digs. Administration will be moving back to their old haunts, where the Unity-
Point walk-in clinic was most recently. The walkin clinic is now next to the family practice clinic. The old registration area is open space for the time being. “We’ve went from about 150,000 square feet in the entire hospital to 191,000 square feet and less than 500 square feet is unutilized,” Bycroft reported. Sleiter said the old laboratory will be for emergency room expansion at some point in the future. “Our emergency room is not visible from the street, so that’s the next vision, how do we create an entrance that is visible from where you pull into, rather than going through a garage door,” the CEO said. Both administrators gave credit to the hospital’s board of trustees who have served during the planning and building process. A bench recognizing the present board as well as past board members Steve Long, Marlene Thompson, Scott Curran and Rod Harklau, who either sat on the building committee or chaired the board, will be honored. Bycroft said all departments and 100 percent of the hospital space was looked at in configuring the facility master plan. “There wasn’t
Patient registration specialist Erin Hamilton works in the new outpatient specialty clinic at HCMH. The clinic has added four new providers in the past five-six months. Humboldt Independent photo.
We Salute y t n u o C t d Humbol l a t i p s o H l Memoria ition
anything we did just for the sake of doing it. It all had a purpose for the service and efficiency we can provide to make the entire health care experience the best for the patients using our facility.” Sleiter said the volume of business has increased during the first three months of operations in the expanded space. There will be more concrete financial numbers by the end of the fiscal year, next June. “We haven’t seen monthly gross revenues above the $2 million mark before, so it’s hard to say all the possible reasons. Having our physicians attached to our building makes providing our ancillary services much more convenient to our patients,” Sleiter said. “We also have a really strong clinical group with Dr. Long and our nurse practitioners and Dr. Paul coming on in 2020. Our walk-in clinic is also busier than it’s ever been, which also increases use of ancillary services like radiology and lab. We’ve also seen increases in MRIs, because people can
have them on a Sunday afternoon and not have to take off work. Also, therapy still continues to grow,” she said. The hospital CEO has heard a lot of good comments from people who have seen the new hospital and used the facility’s services. As the hospital readies to close on the USDA loan in the coming months, interest rates have declined by a quarter of a percent from the original amount, saving the hospital an estimated $600,000, it might even be more if rates decline again in January, which has been the talk in some financial circles. Whatever measuring stick is being used at this point it’s fair to say that the overriding vision talked about some 4.5 years ago has been accomplished. “Our vision is to be the region’s health care leader providing the highest service to you,” Bycroft said. “This project helps us achieve that.” Not only is the hospital’s wellness hub addition the largest building project ever
in the county, it came in on time and under budget. As of Nov. 14, Chief Financial Officer A.J. Mason reports a total project cost of $15.36 million. And while there are still additional costs coming in, the project will end up being significantly under budget. Despite pretty challenging weather for large portions of 2018 and 2019, it really wasn’t a problem, the HCMH leaders said. “It snowed the day we broke ground, but there really weren’t a lot of construction delays because of the wetter than normal conditions. Actually, it was pretty ideal,” Sleiter said. “The partnership with Graham Construction and Joel Armitage and Sande Construction has been great for us. There will be ups and downs, but Joel and Sande’s are committed to this community and Graham delivers a high quality product, so we couldn’t have had better partners, including the support of the Board and the appreciation of our staff,” Sleiter said.
Hospital addition timeline • March 2015 strategic planning begins on what an expanded HCMH could be like. Information began in the months before that. • May 2015, preliminary plans begin to be developed and are shared with the HCMH Board of Trustees. • June 2015, Board gives approval to look at and update the hospital’s facility master plan. • July 2015, receive RFPs from architectural firms. The Board selects RDG of Des Moines as the building architect. • September 2015, conducted extensive discussions of the plan, including brining in representatives from every department of the hospital to gauge input. • In late 2015, RDG provides the hospital with an initial architectural design. • In early 2016, the HCMH Board approves Graham Construction of Des Moines as construction managers for the project. • February 2016, consultants visit with the Board to go over design plans. After the initial cost estimate of $25 million, the Board and the design review committee went over revisions and cost changes for six months, until the fall of 2016. • March 2016, hospital staff attends training with Chip Madera in creating a transformative environment for employees and patients at HCMH. • In May 2016, the HCMH Board approves moving forward with a low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and submitted paperwork in mid-October 2016. The hospital’s funding request was approved in midAugust 2017 at $13.92 million on a 40-year loan. • January 2017, the HCMH Board of Trustees approved Sande Construction of Humboldt as the general contractor for the project with a base bid of $12,159,680, about 4 percent below the engineer’s estimate. With other contractual additions for work, the total cost was anticipated at $17 million. • Tuesday, April 3, 2017, ground was broken on the new addition as shovels had to dig freshly fallen snow to get to the dirt. The project was expected to take 19 months. • July 27, 2019, the new UnityPoint Clinic within the HCMH addition was substantially completed and clinic staff and HCMH maintenance personnel began moving items from the old clinic building to the new hospital addition. On Monday, July 30, 2019, UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine – Humboldt opened on the first floor of the new hospital addition. The HCMH Outpatient Specialty Clinic followed about a month later, along with all of the therapy departments, respiratory and cardio-pulmonary services, dietary and diabetes education and the HCMH laboratory. While the clinic has a slightly different address, now at 1000 15th St. N. Suite A, rather than 1015 15th St. N., the phone remains the same at (515) 332-2015. • Nov. 11, 2019, the east entrance is open to the public and the project is considered substantially complete.
add w e n r u o y n o
Facilities Plan Manager Victor Bycroft and Humboldt County Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Officer Michelle Sleiter stand outside the front entrance of the recently completed HCMH addition and remodel. An open house has been planned for this Sunday, Nov. 24, from 1-4 p.m. Humboldt Independent photo.
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Work continues on a two-story 40,000 square foot addition to the front of Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. Sande Construction of Humboldt is the general contractor on the $17 million project. Completion date is expected at the end of 2019. Independent photo, July 2018.
Thursday, NOVEMBER 21, 2019 • The Humboldt Independent • 11c
Congratulations, Humboldt County Memorial Hospital!
The Graham Construction team is honored to serve as construction manager for your new expansion of clinics, outpatient services, lab, and more! We consider it a privilege to play a role in this important addition to the community.
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12c • Humboldt Independent • Thursday, NOVEMBER 21, 2019
ALL OUR SERVICES, NOW UNDER ONE ROOF!
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UnityPoint Clinic Walk-In Hours 8 a.m.-12 p.m. HDC Chamber Ribbon Cutting - 1 p.m. HCMH Foundation Donor Wall Ribbon Cutting/Plaque Pick-Up - 2 p.m.
HUMBOLDT COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL “Building into the Future”
Sunday, November 24th 1 - 4 p.m.
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