Press Release

New Addition Gets High Praise

The words “impressive, “amazing”, and “beautiful” sum up evaluations by visitors to the Burgess Open Houses for the new addition.

Hundreds of employees, donors, board members, physicians and the general public walked through Burgess’ new patient addition in a number of tours and events to celebrate completion of the new addition.

Patients are expected to move in the first week in April.

Rev. Hetzel reads the dedication for the new Burgess Chapel which features a waterfall.

Sherri Johnston shows off the Chapel’s water feature.

Pastor John and Dorothy Noer of Onawa stop in a birthing suite.

Carrie Beck checks out the new nursery which features a step for children.

Dave and Gloria Hausman coming down the hallway.

Barb Dahl explains a few of the features of the private rooms.

Bryan and Cassidy Schlitter wait for a balloon animal from Cosmo the Clown.

Sandy Leggett, Kris Peterson and Patty Sandmann stand next to
artwork which adds warm appeal and color to the hallways.

New Addition Highlights

Patient Rooms:

• There are 31 private patient rooms – medical/surgical and special care rooms, observation rooms and birthing suite.
• Each patient room is furnished with a flat screen TV and DVD for patient and family use.
• Sleeper-sofas enable family members to stay close-by.
• There is a shower in the private bath of every room, an upgrade from Burgess’ current setting of one shower for the entire floor, A second sink for hand washing meets hospital industry requirements.
• Private rooms will enhance patient comfort, health and safety, and the patients’ overall experience with us which is more important than ever today.
• Décor features warm gold’s, wood-look vinyl flooring, cherry wood molding and home-like furnishings such as lamps and tables. Colors and materials have been chosen to create an uplifting and comfortable environment for patient and family members.

Negative Pressure Airflow Rooms

• Negative air pressure draws air out of these rooms to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and keep air safer for healthcare workers and patients.
• Air is exchanged up to 12 times an hours and signals can alert nurses to any problems.
• These special negative airflow rooms meet hospital infection control standards for infectious diseases.

Special Care Rooms

• Rooms for patients who need intensive care have a headwall with equipment to provide ventilators and special monitoring.
• A quiet room is located nearby for family gatherings.

Burgess Family Beginnings

• New mothers will enjoy three birthing suites and two postpartum rooms with whirlpool tubs, flat screen TVs and DVDs and comfortable, pull-out sofas for Dad and others.
• The Level I normal nursery has four bassinets and space for bath demonstrations and circumcisions. Small children can now see their new little brother or sister on the special step outside the nursery window.

Chapel

• A special “water fall” feature enhances this setting for private meditation and prayer for user by patients, family members, visitors and staff.

Other features

• Temperature in each room can be controlled individually with the upgrade from a tw0pipe system of the old heating and cooling system.
• The project ius being funded through the hospital operations budget and a successful $1 million fundraising campaign. Our classification as a Critical Access Hospital has enhanced our Medicare reimbursement and strengthened us financially to provide health care services that meet community needs now and in the future.
• Renovation of surgery and other parts of the hospital will begin immediately for completion in 2007.
• Since its founding in 1963 Burgess has expanded several times to offer advanced health care services and meet the health care needs of Monona County and it’s neighbors.