While the new Allen County Regional Hospital has been open for about six months, there are still many changes going on and moving to be done. At the hospital board meeting on Tuesday, trustees discussed a new orthopedic surgeon who will come on staff part time, moving Homecare and Hospice to a new location and small improvements to the new hospital.
Dr. Shane Fejfar has joined the staff at the specialty clinic. He will be available for consultation, minor surgeries and post-operative care. Bigger surgeries will be done in Wichita. Ron Baker, hospital chief executive officer, said startup costs for equipment used for minor surgery procedures and aftercare would be $24,779. Dr. Fejfar also sees patients at Coffey County Hospital in Burlington.
Homecare and Hospice moved from North State Street to the medical arts building, located on the east side of the old hospital on Wednesday. No remodeling was needed for the move; they will take over former administrative space. However, the hospital will need to pay for a new inspection by the Joint Commission to ensure the move meets its standards.
Staff installed new hardware in the building to boost cell phone coverage, and the designer had planned to come on Wednesday to run final tests of the equipment. Baker said cell phone reception should be greatly improved by the end of the day. They also planned to move the gazebo to a new, temporary location behind the building, where it will be accessible to people while also in sight of security cameras. Eventually, the gazebo will be moved to an area near the pond after the land has finished being developed.
Hospital trustees went over a review of an emergency operation plan. Lisa Griffith, emergency room manager and emergency preparedness manager, said the severe weather plan has been completed.
The board briefly discussed regular safety drills that have taken place at the new hospital. Testing the flow/pressure in the fire suppression system does not affect regular hospital operations, and the tests are conducted monthly. On two occasions, the fire department responded because someone had forgotten to put the fire suppression system on “test mode,” first, but the accident was viewed as a drill exercise.
The board also briefly discussed taking measures to better promote wellness in the community and among hospital staff. Baker said he and Dr. Brian Wolfe have discussed finding grants for health-related programs. There may also be low-cost programs that would promote “wellness behavior” among employees by providing incentives for them. It was suggested that board members submit ideas via email so they could be discussed further in June.
