Assistant Editor Jerry Lindsey wrote this feature and took the photos. MCH submitted 28 minutes of video coverage: https://www.facebook.com/804903709560443/posts/4837591952958245/?sfnsn=mo.
On Sunday, October 24, 2021, a ribbon was cut to announce the $20,500,000 building project within the Morrison Community Hospital and to welcome visitors to it. CEO Pam Pfister welcomed a tent-full of eager locals and media. On behalf of Morrison Community Hospital Foundation, she proudly expressed her appreciation of cooperation and commitment, since the groundbreaking in September 2019.
Left-to-right are Foundation Board President and Hospital Public Information Officer Betty Steinert; TBK Bank Operations Supervisor and Chamber Board member Angela Reamer; Hospital Board member Barb Kophamer; Odell Public Library Director and Chamber Board member Meridith Layne; Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Foad; CEO Pam Pfister; Medical Officer Family Practice Dr. George Georgiev; Chief of Staff Dr. David Yeager; Family Practice Dr. Nicky Eustace; of the Foundation Board Chairman Donald Beswick.
Pfister summarized the project. “Our building project encompasses approximately 80,000 square feet of both new and renovated areas, and has afforded us with increased capacity for patients. We have advanced our services lines, and often this is not mentioned, but also made huge improvements to our working culture.
“The construction includes: a new ER; a new wing addition to Med-Surg, adding eight private patient care rooms; a new state-of-the-art Operating Room; a new Laboratory Department; provider Offices for the first-floor clinic; new Rehab, Billing, and Coding Departments. Renovations have also been made to the Radiology and Dietary Departments.
“While we all recognize the size of this project is pretty significant to us as a hospital, it also brings significant returns to the community. Since our groundbreaking event in 2019, we have increased our employee population by 10%. In addition, our Emergency Department volumes have increased 25%, our Clinic volumes have increased 50%, and our Surgeries have tripled.
“These numbers are impacted by our building project, growth in our Medical Staff, and the addition of high-quality specialists over the past couple of years. Simply said, this project put all of this in motion.”
Appreciative words followed from Chief of Staff Dr. David Yeager; Medical Director Dr. George Georgiev; Vice President of Compeer Financial Bob Madsen; Chairman the MCH Board of Directors Don Beswick.
Visitors were invited to enter the new addition. They were presented with snacks and guided tours. The latter explained and revealed additional services the construction offers to the area of Northwest Illinois.
