On Friday, March 26, ground will be broken at the Nemaha County Hospital for major improvements to the public facility. Because of the planned changes, traffic will be impacted during the construction period.
The upper lot near the current entrance will be closed off beginning Monday, March 29, said Kermit Moore, chief nursing officer for the hospital. All visitors and patients will be redirected to park in either the hospital’s far north or west parking lots.
Moore said the planned new entrance for the hospital most likely will reopen late this year. Planned construction on the north side of the hospital includes a new archway entrance, a classroom and updated offices. Once those improvements are made, Moore said, the business office and human resource departments will move to their new location within the north half of the facility. The new entrance will be considered a zero entry, which means there will be no ramp and patients will be able to pull up under a covered entry way.
The two phase construction project is anticipated to last 600 days.
Moore said 17 new parking stalls will be added to the north parking lot and an additional 20 stalls are in a lot between the hospital and the Good Samaritan Society-Auburn for patients and visitors to use. He said there should be more than enough parking stalls to accommodate the daily patients and their family members.
In addition to parking being impacted, patients and visitors will also notice a change in where to enter the hospital. The new entrance, during construction, will be on the west side of the hospital and has served as the employee entrance for years.
Moore said signs will be posted and the temporary public entrance will have an automatic door on it. Those visiting the hospital during at least the next three months will continue to register at usual front counter. Moore acknowledged that during construction, patients and visitors will experience at least some confusion, but he added the hospital staff will be available for help.
In order to have adequate parking for patients and visitors, the hospital employees will be required to park elsewhere. Sterling Norvell will be providing a shuttle service for the daytime employees and staff working the night shifts will be allowed to park near the hospital, where eight new stalls will be constructed.
Moore reiterated the importance of not using the emergency room parking lot if it is not an emergency. The south side of the hospital will be updated during the second phase of the project, which is slated for next year.
Ground-breaking Ceremony
Hospital administrators and staff are inviting the public to attend a special ground-breaking ceremony at 11 a.m. Friday, March 26.