Approximately 500 people celebrated with Ozarks Medical Center the grand opening of a new state-of-the-art Emergency Department on Sunday, July 18.

The 13,000-square-foot facility opened to patients on July 20.

“With this state-of-the-art facility and OMC’s excellent caregivers, our community can rest assured that they are receiving the best possible care, right here at OMC,” said OMC President and CEO David Zechman at the grand opening celebration.

The grand opening ceremony included speeches by Zechman, Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson, OMC Board of Directors Chair Greg Beykirch, OMC Foundation Board Chair Dusty Shaw and West Plains Mayor Joe Paul Evans and an invocation by the Rev. Mark Mildren from the First United Methodist Church in West Plains.

The presentations were followed by a ribbon cutting and tours of the new 16-bed facility.

Emerson

Emerson thanked everyone for their efforts in making the Emergency Department “another shining example of the excellence in our congressional district.”

“A facility like this beautiful new Emergency Department is a tremendous reflection on the excellence of Ozarks Medical Center,” she said. “It’s a credit to the men and women working here every day. It’s an indication of how strong West Plains is and how much we care about the health care services we provide to the people who call this region home.”

The Emergency Department, Emerson said, is an investment in West Plains, and also in the people of West Plains.

“You can put a price on the facility, but you can’t put a price on the value of what will happen in this Department. Kindness, professionalism, thoughtfulness, and talent,” she added.

During his presentation, Zechman thanked OMC administration and the medical and facilities teams responsible for the Emergency Department project.

“This dedicated team has spent countless hours planning every detail of this Emergency Department to ensure we offer the highest level of patient care possible,” he said. “Because of them, this is truly one of the best facilities in the state if not the country.”

The contractors who worked on the project were thanked for their quality work and for finishing the project two months ahead of schedule.

“We made a commitment to support the local economy with this project,” Zechman said. “We are proud to say 87 percent of the contractors who worked on the ED are from the West Plains area.”

Zechman also recognized the family of Dr. Joe Sellers, including his wife DeAnn and his sons Joe, Lance, Wyatt, Nate and Gabe.

“Dr. Sellers was the Emergency Department Medical Director during a crucial time in the development of this new facility and he played a vital role in the planning and construction process,” he said. “Dr. Sellers passed away in December 2008 but he will always be remembered by the caregivers he influenced and the patients he compassionately cared for.”

Several local physicians have joined to honor Dr. Sellers by dedicating one of the new trauma rooms in his memory.

Beykirch

“This facility is a gold standard in emergency care,” Board Chairman Greg Beykirch said to Sunday’s crowd. “I know you will be impressed with the technology, design and all of the attention to detail that will help keep our community healthy for years to come.”

During his presentation, Beykirch recognized the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and its Executive Vice President Brian Fogle. CFO played an essential role in the completion of the Emergency Department infill.

“The Community Foundation of the Ozarks recognized that completing the Emergency Department was essential for the health of the people of this community,” Beykirch said. “With a $1 million loan from CFO, we were able to resume construction and complete the interior of the ED.”

Shaw

Foundation Board Chairman Dusty Shaw thanked the community for their continued support of the Emergency Department project. He said it is important to remember that the funds from CFO are a loan that must be repaid.

In order to pay back the $1 million and raise the funds for the balance of the Emergency Department project, the Foundation is reaching out to the community with a community-wide capital campaign to raise $3 million.

So, far the campaign has raised $2 million towards its $3 million goal and the campaign is continuing.

“We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go," Shaw said. "The Capital Campaign is not over yet."

Evans

Mayor Joe Paul Evans said he was honored to be a part of this historical occasion for OMC and the entire region

“The number one growth factor in the future our country is going to be tied one way or another to the vast field of health care,” he said. “This outstanding medical center and our entire medical community are going to assure that we will be in a position to share in that growth.”

“We all need to put a circle around our calendars around this day today, Sunday, July 18, 2010, as a very important day, not only for our city but for each one of us.”

About the new Emergency Department
• 16 large private rooms with bedside registration, including 2 trauma rooms and 2 negative pressure rooms. Each room is equipped with cardiac monitoring and all supplies needed for standard ER procedures.
• Telephone, television and family seating in each private room make waiting times more comfortable for patient and family.
• Large Nurses' Station has quick access to patient rooms and electronic tracking system that displays privacy-coded pertinent patient information.
• Portable Imaging Equipment allows staff to perform imaging in the patient's room. Delivers X-rays in as little as 23 seconds.
• Hazardous Decontamination Area accessed from the exterior of the hospital, keeping harmful decontaminate from chemical and toxic exposure.
• Convenient new public entrance to hospital on 8th Street. Doors open 5a.m. to 9a.m. for patients and visitors. Emergency entrance open 24/7.