March 20, 2023 |
Photo – NPVMC Entrance – by Matt Copeland of Bigfoot99
Despite numerous delays, the North Platte Valley Medical Center is nearing completion and an opening date has been set.
The clinic has blown past other opening dates because of construction setbacks and supply chain issues. Originally slated to begin operation last August, construction setbacks have pushed the opening date farther and farther back. During a tour in December, hospital administrators said they were shooting for an early January opening. During last week’s open house event, CEO Jeff Mincy announced the new opening date of the North Platte Valley Medical Center is April 24th.
The latest delay was required because heating and air conditioning tests weren’t completed in time for a state inspection. Even after the inspection was completed, more items needed to be corrected to maintain compliance with specific hospital building codes.
During Wednesday’s open house and sneak peek, the hospital contained more medical equipment and furniture than was on hand during December’s tour. The facility appears nearly ready to accept it first patients.
The tour began in the lobby where local artist Lori Kostur’s three-panel mural of Lake Marie is now a permanent display. The work is meant to have a calming effect on patients and visitors.
The physical therapy room now has wheelchair accessible exercise machines. Patient rooms have beds, and the dining area is complete.
Photos – Art and Dining Area at NPVMC – by Matt Copeland
Also, over the last few months, state-of-the-art imaging equipment has been installed in the radiology department. In the ultrasound room, Chief Operating Officer Eva Marie Popelka explained what the ultrasound machine is capable of doing.
The hospital has an x-ray machine that can also perform fluoroscopy. Via a series of real-time images, fluoroscopy uses brief pules of an X-ray beam to show organs and tissues working in real time, like a video, on a computer screen.
Photos – NPVMC Imaging Equipment – by Matt Copeland
Popelka showed off the hospital’s CT machine. She said the device scans up to 64 layers but can be upgraded to 128 if necessary. The clinic’s operations officer said the Computed Tomography machine can be used to diagnose a variety of medical conditions.
Images produced by the CT scanner are uploaded onto a private medical network for review by a radiologist. Popelka said doctors in Casper can examine the images remotely.
The North Platte Valley Medical Center has a 3D mammography machine, which was donated by a breast cancer survivor. Popelka said 3D scans will help doctors more easily identify diseases.
The hospital’s lab isn’t fully equipped yet. Most of the equipment is in the Platte Valley Clinic waiting to be moved into the hospital when it opens next month. The move is expected to take two days.
Once relocated at the new hospital, the Platte Valley Clinic will contain five exam rooms and three health care offices. Large windows in the exam rooms overlook the mountains surrounding the valley, but HIPAA regulations require blinds to be installed for patient privacy before the clinic opens.
Residents of the Saratoga Care Center will move into a specially designed long-term care wing in the hospital. Residents with dementia or other cognitive impairments will be prevented from wandering away from the facility by proximity locks triggered by the patient’s bracelet.
Photos – NPVMC’s Long Term Care Room and Proximity Lock – by Matt Copeland
Mincy said the hospital is nearly fully staffed. Physical therapists, nutritionists, and other care providers were on hand during the tour to talk about the services the hospital will offer. Mincy said he is still looking for housekeepers and a supply clerk.
Mincy said specialists, such as cardiologists and nephrologists, have expressed interest in practicing medicine at the hospital. He said he has received credentialing applications from specialists, but he’s holding off on scheduling space in the Specialty Clinic until the hospital receives its license number from the state.
Wednesday’s Sneak Peek of the North Platte Valley Medical Center showed a hospital nearly ready to open its doors. Hospital administration is expected to move in next week. More services will be relocated into the building as the late April opening date approaches.
