Hospital construction projects underway in Ritzville

East Adams Rural Hospital began to see dirt being moved on the facility’s construction project during mid-June. The month of work is focused primarily on the installation of an expansion of the previously existing basement.

CEO/CFO Gary Bostrom explained construction is focused around the basement, as well as the installation of air handlers on the roof. Mike Fuentes, Business Unit Manager of Apollo Solutions, estimated the air handlers will be installed the second week of August, allowing work to continue in the server room.

Bostrom explained the server room needs to have a consistent airflow current installed, as the contractors Leone and Keeble need to seal the windows in the IT room because of structural reasons. Fuentes added once the air handlers are installed, work can begin on piping and duct work, and the project can move forward at a faster pace then.

The existing building has also begun to undergo work, with portions of the roof being torn out on east side of the building. The steps to the basement have begun to be removed, and the project on the interior of the building is currently focused on the removal of the elevator.

Bostrom said the replacement elevator is still being researched, as the hospital district is looking at alternatives when the project came in $200,000 over the initial bid process. The installation of the basement expansion costs near $200,000, but the Hospital District Board of Commissioners unanimously agreed it is a portion of the project that needs to be completed, as it could not be completed after construction is finished.

With a portion of the building already gutted internally, work is expected to move forward at a rapid pace next month, Bostrom said. The portion of the building being worked on now will later be the site of the addition of the rooftop landing zone for MedStar and will also house meeting space for the facility.

As construction progresses, Bostrom said the project has already had to utilize the generator. The emergency generator is tied into the facility, and allows back up power if needed for the hospital.

Aside from construction projects at the facility, the hospital district is also using a modular unit to help expand the physical therapy department. After the motion failed at the Ritzville City Council meeting to have the modular next to the physical therapy building, Bostrom said the district is now looking to have the modular located at the East Adams Care Center.

The unit’s location will mean all testing will be completed off-site, but with the need for additional room for the department, Bostrom said it is necessary to have the modular unit.

The Board of Commissioners meets for the regular meeting on July 23 in the clinic lobby, beginning at 5:30 p.m. During the meeting, a full update regarding the construction project will be provided.