Progress continues to be made on the $17 million Salem Township Hospital emergency and operating room renovation and expansion.
Hospital CEO James Timpe hopes new construction work will be underway by late summer.
“Plans are basically 100 percent complete,” Timpe said. “Next Friday, June 6, the construction bids will go out. It will take several weeks to get responses. Once we get those back, then we’ll get our contract together and we should see construction starting in the fall.”
Timpe says one part of the project is complete.
“The demolition is complete. We did demolish all the area of what was the old rural health center. That area is going to be the first part of construction when we start.”
The plans include eight larger emergency bays instead of the current six and four operating rooms instead of the current two. A 2,500 square foot addition to the rear of the hospital is also planned for the sterilization process. A new canopy is planned for above the ambulance entrance to the emergency room. Work is expected to be completed late next year.
Hospital census has dropped as the viral infections from the winter season have faded.
Nurse Executive Lisa Ambuehl reported an overall patient satisfaction level in April of 95.3-percent, much higher than their goal. She noted the hospital was watching the measles outbreak. There are now eight cases in Illinois. All are in the Chicago area, with the exception of one in Marion.
