Open House and Dedication Ceremony - Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Click Here to view video clips of the event.

Get Out and Go Trail Dedication

Cutting the ribbon at May’s Walking Trail Dedication is Annabelle “A.B.” Gammons, a student from Mtn. View Elementary School. She and 200 fellow students came for the opening ceremony. Holding the ribbon (far left) are Shelton Chamber of Commerce member, Allison Wagner; Chamber Executive Director Heidi McCutcheon; Hospital Commissioners Nancy Trucksess, Don Wilson, and Scott Hilburn; MGH & FC CAO Eric Moll; and Chamber member, Stephen Andrewski.

Campus Renewal Project

By Derek Rae, Construction Manager, Associate, OAC Services, Inc.

Mechanical and electrical rough-in is completed. Drywall and ceilings will soon be up

The Campus Renewal Project is over half way there!  The contactor has completed 14 patient rooms and has 12 more to go.  The Birth Center wing is now complete, and the contractor is working on four rooms at a time in the medical/surgical/pediatrics area.  Work will begin on the new ADA patient rooms in May.  Outside of the patient rooms, finishes are being upgraded in the corridors with new paint, flooring, and ceilings being installed every day.  Last month work in the Diagnostic Imaging department began ‒ first with upgrading the corridors, then moving into individual rooms.

On the northwest side of the Hospital in ICU most of the finish upgrades are complete.  Eight of the 10 rooms are complete and construction of a new nurses’ station is under way.  Outside of ICU new finishes have been completed in the corridors.  It was tricky installing finishes in the corridor adjacent to the Pharmacy because of all the traffic.  Work had to be done on one half of the corridor at a time to allow for patient, staff, and public flow.  The contractor is looking forward to having the ICU work complete in early May.

In the new surgical wing, drywall is being installed throughout, and once the plaster is dry the primer and paint can start to go on.  After the first coat of paint the mechanical and electrical subcontractors can start finishing up their work and installing fixtures.

Outside the building on Sherwood Lane, the new pedestrian path is going in.  Once complete, the new paved path will meander all the way along Sherwood and turn east onto 13th, making a complete loop around the MGH campus.  Get your walking shoes ready!

Steady Financial Position Allows Hospital to Move Ahead With Facility Master Plan

After several consecutive years of a steady financial performance, coupled with an extremely favorable climate for construction, we are pleased to announce Mason General Hospital & Family of Clinics has an extraordinary opportunity to make several high priority improvements over the next two years in the facility. The estimated $33 million cost of these projects will be financed by operating revenues and will not require a taxpayer bond.

These improvements include:

• The addition of a new surgery wing to the existing hospital.
• New operating suites to accommodate new technologies and replace existing rooms that are too small to meet current and future needs.
• An expanded and modernized emergency department to accommodate current and future patient needs and to increase patient privacy and provide more space for waiting patients.
• Upgrades to inpatient rooms and waiting areas to better accommodate patients and families and provide privacy for confidential meetings between doctors and families.

These improvements will implement top priorities in MGH’s Facility Master Plan that is part of Mason General’s ten-year strategic plan, and increase the Hospital’s flexibility that will enable it to respond to future changes in care delivery. We are very excited about this opportunity, and look forward to the added value it brings to the community’s healthcare.

Facility Master Plan Facts

Investing in the Future of Quality Care at Mason General

In November 2009, the District announced plans to build new surgical facilities, expand and modernize its emergency department and improve patient rooms and waiting areas. Design and bidding documents are expected to be completed in late 2010 to early 2011 and construction begun in early 2011. Below you will find answers to some of the frequently asked questions from the members of our community. We look forward to sharing more information with you as our this project progresses.

Why are new surgical facilities needed?

One of the most important services the hospital provides to residents of the area is a convenient, high quality surgical program. The Hospital currently has three operating rooms; two of them date back to the original building that was completed in 1968 and the third added in 1992. Larger operating rooms configured for new technology and improved recovery and waiting areas are needed to support current and future demands, particularly for outpatient surgery.

Why does the emergency department need to be expanded?

Emergency room visits have increased by nearly 36% just since 2000. More treatment rooms are needed in order to meet current and projected demand and increased privacy. Currently we see 50% more patients per emergency department room than the national average. A convenient, well-equipped and professionally staffed emergency department is essential for our community.

Why is this happening now?

There are four factors that have contributed to making this the appropriate time to begin this construction project:

• Construction costs are low.
• Borrowing rates are favorable.
• A steady financial position allows us to borrow money and will make it possible for us to fund a part of the construction costs.
• We have been spending money annually to make improvements to our facility. This annual allocation will enable us to leverage dollars and fund a much larger project.

Why are improvements needed in patient rooms and public areas?

Part of the need arises from the fact that the Hospital is now 50 years old and has not had a major upgrade since 1968. But other reasons are important, too. Hospital services have changed dramatically in the past quarter of a century. More of our patients arrive for outpatient procedures or short stays. Often, family members accompany patients and wait while procedures are being done. These changes require different kinds of patient and waiting rooms.

Why were new surgical and emergency improvements chosen over other alternatives?

The District maintains a ten-year strategic plan that is reviewed and updated periodically. Our Facility Master Plan is an important element in achieving our strategic goals. The needs for new surgical facilities and an expanded emergency department are identified as top priorities in this plan. Our decision to make surgery and the emergency departments our top priorities is based on need, information from national and local statistics, a thorough analysis of utilization, and comparative information obtained from other hospitals.

Will the new surgery facilities and expanded emergency department require new buildings?

Yes, we will add a new surgery wing. The area where the existing surgery suite is located will become available for expansion of the emergency department and other uses.