Calumet Medical Center announces $1.6 million expansion, renovation plan
02 / 16 / 2006
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Maria Nelson, Media Relations
Affinity Health System
(920) 720-1752
(920) 554-0686 (pager)
CHILTON, Wis. – Calumet Medical Center will undergo a $1.6 million facelift over the next eight months that will expand outpatient services, improve patient privacy and increase technology at the 50-year-old facility.
The announcement, made today, represents a major commitment to the residents of Calumet County. “Calumet Medical Center is an integral part of Affinity Health System,” said Kevin Nolan, president and chief executive officer of Affinity Health System. “Over the past eight years, we have made a commitment to the employees, and we have strategically invested in state-of-the art equipment to keep this hospital viable.”
Work will begin in April that will include the expansion and renovation of the hospital’s outpatient registration, Emergency department and ambulance bay area, and the Radiology/Imaging department. Additionally, the hospital will expand its use of technology, including electronic information sharing, computerized imaging and telemedicine opportunities. Construction is expected to be completed in December.
“This project will impact everyone who uses Calumet Medical Center,” said Travis Andersen, president of Calumet Medical Center. “The Emergency department is vital in our setting as we are the only Emergency department in Calumet County. Also, the national trend in health care is to provide more outpatient services. This building project reflects this trend and positions Calumet Medical Center for future success.”
The design of this project was done with the patient and staff in mind, says Gary Kusnierz, director of Facilities for Affinity Health System. “We spoke with patients and staff to identify inefficiencies in patient and staff flow before we did any architectural drawings,” Kusnierz said.
“This renovation will allow us to provide better emergency care, more efficiently, to more patients,” said Dr. David Gummin, medical director of Emergency Services at Calumet Medical Center. “A lot of strategic planning has already been dedicated to this project, which illustrates Affinity’s commitment to providing unparalleled care to the people of Calumet County.”
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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a faith-based regional health care network, is the Fox Valley’s second-largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry. For the fourth consecutive year, Affinity has been named one of the nation’s top 64 health systems based on clinical performance according to Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of health care. For ten consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent of hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 25 family practice and specialty clinics – 22 of which are recognized as NCQA Level III medical homes, the highest level of recognition – in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; and Affinity Occupational Health.