Owatonna Hospital, Allina to Build New Hospital
Allina Hospitals & Clinics is expected to release today $46 million to fund the design and construction of a new hospital in Owatonna. The new hospital will be connected to the Owatonna Clinic 26th Street site, creating an integrated health care campus. “Now the real work begins as we move rapidly forward with the design and construction of our new hospital,” said Dorothy Erdmann, Owatonna Hospital president.
The release of capital came after a year of finalizing agreements with the City of Owatonna, as well as operating agreements between Owatonna Hospital and Owatonna Clinic. Groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for early 2007. Yesterday (June 13), Allina Hospitals & Clinics’ Finance Committee approved the capital investment, and it will be acted on by the full board today.
In planning for the new facility, hospital management will gather input from Owatonna Hospital board members, hospital and clinic staff, nurses and the public through a series of meetings, slated for early fall. The new hospital will contain 38 beds and four operating suites. All rooms will be private and the hospital’s design will feature architectural details to promote safety and healing. Some of these concepts include the use of soothing colors, use of natural light and views to nature. “This new hospital will truly be designed, first and foremost, around the needs of the patient,” said Erdmann.
The new hospital will operate in an electronic environment. The use of an electronic medical record (EMR), will increase safety and efficiency at Owatonna Hospital. EMRs are designed to help protect against treatment and medication errors and to allow patients to access their own medical records. The combination of updated design features and the use of an EMR will combine to create an optimal patient care experience. “We have a great opportunity in health care to start fresh–to design and build a new hospital the way it should be with the patient in mind,” Erdmann said.
The new health care campus will provide expanded medical services and convenient access to both hospital and clinic patients. “We’ve been working hand in hand with the Owatonna Hospital for years to meet the health care needs of our patients,” said Dr. Brian Bunkers, Owatonna Clinic-Mayo Health System CEO. “This just takes us one step closer to our vision of a fully modern, patient-centered health care campus.”
Construction of the hospital is expected to be completed by late 2008 or early 2009 and will replace the current hospital which was constructed in 1931.
About Owatonna Hospital
The Owatonna Hospital, part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, is a not-for-profit hospital committed to providing quality, comprehensive care to patients in and around Steele County. Owatonna Hospital provides a full range of inpatient, outpatient and emergency care services, as well as home health and palliative care and hospice services. Owatonna Hospital works in collaboration with Owatonna Clinic – Mayo Health System, to provide quality healthcare to the Owatonna area. Owatonna Hospital’s services along with the latest health information can be found online at www.owatonnahospital.com.