Press Release

Public Invited to Tour New Addition at Burgess

Burgess Health Center will host an Open House Celebration of its new $5 million Patient Addition Sunday, March 12 at 2-4 p.m.

The public is invited to tour, enjoy refreshments and sign up for door prizes.

Hospital employees will lead persons on tours of 31 private patient rooms which include medical/surgical and special care rooms as well as birthing suites and outpatient observation rooms.

Guests will see the new Family Beginnings nursery, Pharmacy and its new Omnicell automated patient medication system and Inpatient Rehabilitation Department, which includes a kitchenette area for patients who need occupational therapy.

There also will be a new chapel with a special “water wall” feature. Pastor Steve Hetzel of Faith Lutheran Church will hold a dedication of the chapel earlier on Sunday. Funded by Mapleton area supporters, the chapel will provide a setting for private meditation or prayer for patients, visitors, family members and employees.

Each patient room is furnished with a flat screen TV, DVD and a sleeper-sofa for family members to stay close-by as well as private baths with showers, an upgrade from Burgess current setting of one shower for the entire floor. A second sink for hand washing also is included in rooms to meet hospital industry requirements.

“Burgess’ new addition meets the healthcare needs of both patients and their families,” adds Dr. John Garred Sr., medical staff president and long-time physician. “With its expansion and renovation, Burgess is keeping up with medical advances, new technology and new healthcare standards.”

Patients are scheduled to move from their current rooms to their new private patient rooms on March 15. Renovation of other parts of the hospital will then begin for completion in spring of 2007.

"Our project reinforces Burgess’ role as a regional leader in rural health care,” says Fran Tramp, Burgess president. “There is a growing demand for private rooms for both patient comfort and health and safety. Caring customer service is important to us, and private rooms will further enhance patients’ experience with us.”

The new construction enabled Burgess to upgrade its aging heating and cooling system from a two-pipe to a four-pipe system, says Tramp.

“Now each room can be controlled individually,” he says. “The new ventilation system also increases the number of fresh air exchanges per hour which gives us fresher, healthier air for our patients, visitors and employees.”

Burgess is funding its project through hospital operations and a successful $1 million fundraising campaign. Since its founding in 1963, the hospital has expanded several times to meet growing patient needs.

For more information on the public Open House call Burgess at 423-2311.