• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Another Area Hospital Gets Healthy: Additions at Canon City's St. Thomas More Include a New Surgery Center and a Secure Area for Prison Inmates.

Posted on: Tuesday, 21 February 2006, 09:01 CST

By Tracy Harmon, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.

Feb. 21--CANON CITY - The distinction - "honor" doesn't seem quite the right term - of being the first patient in St. Thomas More Hospital's new surgery wing went to 91-year-old Alice Klutts on Monday.

And she was extremely. . .relaxed.

"This is something," Klutts said of the new hospital unit, part of an $18 million expansion ongoing at the Canon City hospital.

"We've come a long way.

"I feel at peace because I've been sent to the best for my surgery," Klutts said of the hospital and her surgeon, Dr. Victoria King.

Klutts received a blessing from the Rev. Baaju Izuchi, who also blessed the new unit and all the hospital staff who were in attendance.

"It is just breath-taking this facility that we have," Izuchi said.

"I will bless this new facility, the hands of our caregivers and bless the bodies, hearts and minds that are broken and have come to us for healing.

The hospital, built at its current location in 1968, is undergoing its third and largest expansion.

It now features 55 patient beds, a private patient wing, and a sunny rotunda-style front entrance with a gourmet coffee bar.

"We have added 56,000 square feet to the hospital and our new outpatient rehabilitation and occupational therapy building is 14,000 square feet," hospital spokeswoman Jennifer Kemp said. . The best part of the expansion will be the elimination of the former confusing layout and, in fact, "it will be a lot easier to find your way around," Kemp said.

Each day, as many as 100 construction workers under the direction of Houston Construction of Pueblo have worked on the hospital since work started in December 2003.

Now that the largest unit - the surgical area - is complete, staff are making the adjustment.

"This is amazing," said Ron Burris, chief surgical nurse. "Just 84 hours ago we finished our last surgery in the old unit and moved everything over."

Everything from anesthesia machinery to dressings was transferred, said Sheri , chief financial officer.

"We are not done yet because now that this is open, we will be allowed to go back and remodel the old areas so we can bring in the MRI unit and expand the Intensive Care Unit," Trahern said.

All expansion and renovation work should be complete by May.

Burris said the highlight of the new surgical unit is that each of the four operating rooms will be equipped with the same equipment so any type of surgery can be done in any of the new rooms.

"We now have enough room to accommodate all the equipment and all the different surgical services so it is much more efficient," Burris said.

The expansion also features a secure pre- and post-operative area for the area's many prison inmates.

"It's a beautiful, renovation and building that I think will put a new face on St. Thomas More Hospital, which this area has deserved for a long time," said Dr. Edward Lopez.

"It adds to the level of care and expertise our patients would otherwise expect in larger communities - like the new physical therapy building and the new dietary department with individual meals; big hospital kinds of things."

The public is invited to see the hospital expansion at 10 a.m. March 11.

A grand opening ceremony will feature a ribbon-cutting plus a blessing by Bishop Arthur Tafoya of Pueblo followed from 1 to 5 p.m. with a public open house and tours.

For more information call Kemp at 285-2100.

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: The Pueblo Chieftain

More News in this Category