Hospital renovation project underway

We recently began work on a $5 million renovation of the hospital on our Glencoe campus. Our goals are to meet the community’s evolving needs for health care services efficiently and effectively, as well as to provide greater comfort and more privacy for patients and visitors.

The construction process should be complete by July 2017. The entire first floor of the hospital is being renovated in two phases. Interior changes resulting from the renovation will include:

• A new hospital registration and checkin desk designed for greater patient privacy and confidentiality

• New specialty care suite that positions clinic exam rooms and outpatient treatment facilities closer to operating rooms and imaging technology for more efficient care of oncology, orthopedics, podiatry and urology patients

• An in-house magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suite with a new MRI scanner so patients will no longer need to exit the building to undergo their scan in GRHS’ current mobile MRI unit

• A larger, more comfortable surgery waiting area for patients and their family members

• Additional and larger pre-operative care and postsurgical recovery bays, new endoscopy facilities and a reconfigured nurses’ station in the surgery department

• Reorganized space for more efficient patient care in the emergency room (ER) and urgent care center, including direct access between the ER and medical laboratory for staff to order tests and receive results quickly

• A large, dedicated decontamination room for receiving patients exposed to chemicals and other hazardous materials

• Larger, more comfortable facilities on the hospital’s new third floor for patients undergoing infusion therapy, with a dedicated space for the oncology physician to monitor chemotherapy and other infusion services

Construction affects patients and visitors

Anyone planning a visit to GRHS’ Glencoe campus should be aware of construction-related changes to parking, building access and interior navigation.

The south entrance to the GRHS parking lot at 1805 Hennepin Ave N. is closed and will remain so for the duration of the construction project. Drivers should use the north entrance.

The main doors to the hospital are also closed. The clinic doors are serving as the main entrance to both the hospital and clinic during the first phase of construction. The clinic entrance is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Patients and visitors should enter and look for signs to direct them to the appropriate check-in station for the purpose of their visit.

“New interior signs will help visitors find their destinations, plus we’ve established a station in our clinic lobby with staff who can give directions or wheelchair rides to anyone who needs assistance to go anywhere in the building,” says Jon Braband, GRHS president and CEO.

Gift shop and dome roof are no more

The gift shop that was located in the hospital lobby has been closed to allow for construction in that area. Fresh flowers continue to be available for purchase at GRHS and have been relocated to the temporary main entrance in the clinic building.

“We weren’t able to find space for a temporary gift shop,” says Braband. “We ask everyone to visit local merchants for gift items while we work on plans to re-establish a gift shop on campus at some point in the future.”

Another casualty of the renovation was the hospital’s well-recognized dome roof. The 7,500-pound structure was removed on Oct. 19, almost exactly 20 years after the date it was installed.

“The new hospital entrance design will connect better to the new third floor structure and also reflect the cuttingedge services we provide inside the building. That said, I think many of us will miss the dome,” said Braband. “It was a local landmark.”

Watch for these renovated spaces to open by mid-2017

Ambulance Bay

Endoscopy

Emergency Room

Hematology/Oncology

Hospital Reception

Infusion Services

Medical Imaging

Orthopedics

Podiatry Surgery

Urgent Care Center

Urology