| |
Allina's Owatonna Hospital to open brand new facility
OWATONNA, Minn. 10/09/2009--Owatonna Hospital, part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, has been a fixture at its current location for nearly 110 years on Cedar and Oak Avenue. That will change Friday, Oct. 16, 2009, when patients are accepted at the $51.6 million replacement hospital just off Interstate 35 and 26th St. NW.
"With this new hospital, we’re bringing a new standard of health care to Steele County," said Dave Albrecht, Owatonna Hospital president. "We’re so privileged to have this beautiful hospital here where people will be cared for."
Since 1901, medical treatment has changed drastically and the design of the new hospital addresses those changes. The new 136,000 square foot hospital offers more privacy with one person to a room, sleeper chairs for an overnight guest, full private bathrooms, wireless internet throughout the facility and an electronic medical record.
One of the constraints with the current facility is that it’s the result of many additions over the years and no longer provides a coordinated, efficient environment to provide care. For example, 25 years ago, Owatonna Hospital’s emergency department was remodeled to care for 3,000 patients annually. Today, more than 11,000 patients are treated in the same space. The new emergency department features 12 spacious, same-sided treatment rooms, compared with seven in the current location, with helipad and two-stall drive in and drive out garage.
Same-sided rooms are a standardized safety feature throughout the hospital including the operating rooms, inpatient rooms on the Medical-Surgical Unit, Special Care Unit and the Birth Center. This means that health care teams know exactly where to find equipment and supplies in any of the rooms on a specific unit.
Other highlights in the new hospital include an outdoor healing garden, indoor and outdoor walking paths, Community Resource Center for visitors to conduct medical conditions and treatments via Internet connections, a Professional Education Center to provide onsite education for nursing and technical staff; a Healing Arts Program, and the launch of Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute to bring their renowned rehabilitation resources to the area and complement the existing rehabilitation services offered.
About Owatonna Hospital
Part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, Owatonna Hospital is a not-for-profit hospital committed to providing exceptional care and improving the health of the communities it serves in and around Steele County. Owatonna Hospital provides a full range of health care services including a birth center, emergency care, surgery and rehabilitation. Allina has built a replacement hospital in Owatonna, off Interstate 35. # # #
|
|
