Community

Facility Upgrades Prove Local Health Care Commitment in Lakeview

On Sunday, September 9, officials from Spectrum Health United Memorial formally announced plans for upgrades throughout the Kelsey Hospital.

With an audience of more than 120 alumni and guests of Lakeview High School, Kelsey Hospital administrator, Brian Brasser, detailed plans for a new emergency department and recent renovation of the long term care facility.

“It’s a privilege to make this announcement before so many of you who have shaped the Lakeview community, and whose legacy extends throughout the country,” noted Brasser. “The Kelsey Hospital celebrates 100 years of quality service in 2008, and it is due to the generations of support from throughout this community.”

Brasser shared detailed plans to move the emergency department from its current location on the east side of the facility to the southwest corner of the facility. “We will be expanding from two patient care areas to six private treatment rooms, with the ability to expand in the future,” said Brasser, the hospital’s chief operating officer since 2004.

Boasting a highly visible drive-through entrance located on Fourth Street, patient access will be greatly improved. “We’ll have a covered entrance to protect patients from the elements, which leads straight into the new ER, providing a new standard of patient privacy and confidentiality,” said Brasser. “We see between 6,000 and 7,000 patients in our ER every year, so this truly is our front door.”

The scope of the project, which could begin in as little as four to six weeks, has not yet been finalized, pending the outcome of a community-wide capital campaign. “It is our hope that the community places great value on the presence of a full-service hospital which is here for the long term,” said Kim Carr, director of administrative services, following the presentation.

However, Brasser placed special emphasis that Sunday’s announcement was not focused on securing financial support. Instead, the venue was chosen, according to Brasser, “because of the important role that each of these honored guests played in the community, and we felt strongly that announcing the project in this forum was a tribute to the legacy they have helped to create.”

In addition to the renovated long term care unit and a new ER, officials outlined plans to create a new centralized hospital waiting room with improved registration capabilities. Additionally, the sleep labs at the Kelsey Hospital will be upgraded, and the lab draw station will be expanded.

“This is an exciting time for the hospital and for the entire community,” noted Carr, a long-time Lakeview resident. “This project demonstrates a commitment by the Spectrum Health United Memorial system to the future of local healthcare here in Lakeview.”

Spectrum Health United Memorial is committed to providing excellent personal care and services through state-of-the-art technology and qualified, caring staff at the Kelsey Hospital in Lakeview and the United Hospital in Greenville. Spectrum Health United Memorial provides local access to quality care through the region’s largest health care system.