Hospital may add surgical wing

LOWVILLE — Lewis County General Hospital officials within the next few years hope to add a surgical wing to their growing North State Street facility.

"We don't want to take a short-sighted approach," said Eric R. Burch, chief executive officer of the county-owned hospital. "I think this is the best solution for everybody."

The hospital's facility master plan, developed in the early part of this decade, suggested an upgrade of the surgical suites on the facility's east end, possibly including a small addition.

However, hospital officials recently decided that a new wing on the back of the hospital would be more appropriate and provide more flexibility to handle future growth, Mr. Burch said.

Tentative plans are for an 18,000- to 20,000-square-foot addition, including four 650-square-foot operating rooms, plus ambulatory surgery, surgical admissions and waiting areas, said Thomas W. Ferguson Sr., director of facilities management.

The hospital now has two operating rooms of 500 and 450 square feet, respectively, that date back to 1980.

"That was well thought out and well done," David L. Wood, director of acute-care nursing, said of the last operating room project. "It's just coming to capacity."

The proposed project would free space for other uses.

While the hospital is licensed for 40 medical/surgical beds, it has only about 27 available now, Mr. Wood said. An additional 12 to 15 beds could be added in the current ambulatory surgery wing, while the operating rooms could be converted into a larger intensive care unit, he said.

Hospital officials plan to spend at least six months updating their master plan and getting feedback from employees on the proposed surgical wing, Mr. Ferguson said. Even after project design is complete, it will still take nine to 12 months for a state Health Department review, he said.

"We're literally planning a couple years out," Mr. Ferguson said.

The hospital has contracted with Watertown architectural firm Bernier, Carr & Associates to assist with the project.

Hospital officials at last month's annual Lewis County Hospital Foundation Summer Gala announced plans to name the new surgical wing after retired surgeon Dr. John C. Herrman.

"If it hadn't been for Doc Herrman staying around, I don't know if we'd still have surgery here," Mr. Burch said.

Dr. Herrman, the sole surgeon here for many years, is a member of the hospital's board of managers. Legislators in July named a day after him and held a luncheon to honor his extensive service to the county, including 39 years as chief deputy coroner.

The board of managers later this month likely will award contracts for a 1,500-square-foot addition off the diagnostic imaging wing to house a permanent magnetic resonance imaging unit, Mr. Ferguson said.

Construction is expected to take about six months, allowing the new machine to be installed sometime next spring, he said. The addition is to include a "breakaway wall" that will allow for easier installation and, ultimately, replacement when the machine is deemed obsolete.

The project is expected to cost about $2 million, including $1.2 million to $1.5 million for the MRI unit, according to hospital officials.

A mobile MRI unit will remain on site three days each week until the permanent machine is ready for use, Mr. Ferguson said.

The mobile unit is used 80 to 90 times per month, while use is expected to rise to 120 to 130 times per month with a permanent MRI, Mr. Wood said.

The new machine will be available for use at any time and will provide better image quality and more convenient service, he said.

"We're looking to recruit an orthopedic surgeon," Mr. Burch said. "And an MRI is a prerequisite piece of equipment."