Community Hospital patients move into new wing

Clockwise, from upper left, Phyllis Kirkman of Max, Nebraska, wows Community Hospital staff, from left, Debbie Escher LPN, Tasha Escher Wilson of Radiology, Pati Holthus LPN and hospital president/CEO Jim Ulrich with her command of the television remote in her new room in the hospital's new patient wing. Community Hospital of McCook staff members Sheryl Havens of Health Information Management, left, and registered nurses Lori Sutton, back, and Pat Messinger wheel Beverly Adams of Culbertson and her paraphernalia from her old hospital room to her new room Saturday morning. Community Hospital pharmacists Jack Clark, left, and Anthony Rodewald move the refrigerator from the old pharmacy to the new Saturday. Lori Beeby and Derek Sailors of Community Hospital's information systems rewire a computer under a desk in the hospital's new patient wing. Newborn Tesslyn Pankonin, her parents, Kelsea and Philip Pankonin of Imperial, move into Community Hospital's new patient wing with the help of hospital personnel Jon Oiler, left, Judy Berry and, bringing up the rear, Rita Fritsch. Tesslyn's ride to the new wing, and the part she played in the history of the old and new and expanded hospital, will be a story the Pankonins will share with their three-year-old son, Cole. (Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette)

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Tesslyn Pankonin's first move came just the day after she was born, when she and her mother rode a hospital bed from the old patient pods of Community Hospital of McCook to the hospital's new patient wing.

Tesslyn, the new daughter of Kelsea and Philip Pankonin of Imperial, Nebraska, was born Friday morning and was among seven patients who traveled a temporary connector hallway Saturday from the 35-year-old pod-design hospital to the long hallway of brand-new patient rooms.

About 70 hospital employees helped with the massive move of everything medical, informational, technical and doctor-, nurse- and patient-related. Everything. By the end of the weekend, the old pods, nurses' stations, nursery and offices were empty, and ready for asbestos removal and demolition. Another 50-or-so staff members kept the hospital operating as usual.

Jim Ulrich, Community Hospital's president and CEO, was impressed with the "moving crew," that showed up early Saturday for juice and cinnamon rolls before the move. He told hospital personnel, "Let the patients see how proud we are of what's going on."

Phyllis Kirkman of Max said she was excited about the move from her pod hospital room to a new room, although she questioned -- with a grin and a twinkle in her eye -- if Paul Sheets, the hospital's physical therapist with his arm is a sling, should be the one helping her, the recipient of a new knee.

Phyllis was impressed with the bright, fresh new room, and with the simplicity of a new remote control. "Look at all the information on that pad," she said with a chuckle. "They must have had a woman on this committee."

About the hospital expansion, Phyllis said, "This is quite an impressive accomplishment for a local hospital."

Beverly Adams of Culbertson liked her new room with a view of McCook. "This is really nice. There's lots of room, too," she said.

What happens next, Ulrich said earlier this month, is the construction of a dividing wall in the existing hospital, west of which asbestos will be removed and the original patient pods -- "Blue," "Yellow" and "Red" -- will be demolished, probably through the end of April.

The dividing wall will be in place for about 1 1/2 years, Ulrich said.

"Phase 2" of the hospital's $29 million expansion project includes construction of a new surgery wing and outpatient spaces for observation rooms and patients receiving pain medications and chemotherapy.

Also included are a new pharmacy area, a community and staff conference room and healing garden.

Phase 2 will be finished in May 2012.