Improvements ongoing for Olney’s hospital
May 31, 2013
Hamilton Hospital has been undergoing many changes and improvements for the past several weeks, with some more obvious than others. The construction of the hospital’s new clinic and wellness center is progressing rapidly, and the main facility itself is now home to a new and improved laboratory area.
In spite of the heat and a few lost days on the construction site, work has continued with little delay on the clinic and wellness center complex, according to Administrator Mike Huff.
“We’re hoping to have the construction completed by the end of December, and hope to start occupying the first week of January,” he said.
Work on some of the parking area and the helipad is entirely completed and interior framing has begun on the building at the corner of W. Main and S. Ave. O, where the clinic will be located. Crews have also recently begun the outer framework of the new rehab center, which will eventually be connected to the clinic via a covered walkway.
According to Roby Fultz, construction manager with Robins & Morton, sheetrock will be delivered this week and should start going up very soon on the inside of the clinic.
The next big step, however, will be the completion of the roofs of both buildings. Huff said a topping ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 17, on the construction site to mark the roof completion. The public is invited to attend.
Since May a great deal of construction work has been going on inside the hospital, and a brand new lab area, blood draw room and hematology room were completed Friday, Aug. 3.
Huff said the renovation was desperately needed, and patients will see a great deal of benefits from brand new equipment as well.
“This is the most state-ofthe-art equipment you can find,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you are in Dallas, you aren’t going to find better equipment than we have here.”
Work both inside the hospital and on the construction site, is being paid for through financing that has already been secured, as well as donations from the community.