By BRENDA TENBOER
South Big Horn Hospital may soon see big changes to the medical facility’s front entrance, which may include an all-weather patient loading area.
The hospital district’s board of trustees voted Thursday evening to move forward into the preliminary planning process for construction of a new façade, to include some expansion and the addition of bigger, better bathrooms.
Board trustee Jack Preston of Basin is now writing a state grant that would help fund the project.
Administrator Jackie Claudson said the facility now meets handicapped-accessible requirements, but the 1950s-era building is in dire need of upgrades.
Dan Odasz of Plan One Architects said that with a seven-inch step to overcome, the entrance could definitely be more user friendly for those relying on wheelchairs for mobility.
Claudson added that the facility now has two receptionists for the two public entrances, but with the new entryway patients and visitors could be directed to use one primary entrance.

Building evaluation

Pros and cons of hiring Plan One to conduct a $30,000 building evaluation were also weighed during the meeting Thursday.
Odasz said the evaluation buys a lot of bang for your buck because a team of structural, electrical, mechanical and civil engineers inspect every aspect of the building to see if it makes sense to continue to invest. The evaluation includes an architectural inspection for ADA and code compliance, Odasz said.
“The report you get is very component specific with the current condition, what it would take to fix the problem and the cost for improvement,” he said.
 Odasz added that in school districts, once the cost to upgrade the building to today’s standards nears the two-thirds cost of building new, it’s generally time to switch gears and work for a whole new building.
For example, while the plumbing is not as good as it should be there is a crawlspace that may make replacing that system economically feasible.
The evaluation would get down to the nuts and bolts and tell the board what it needs to know for strategic planning, Odasz said.
Trustee Bill Burbridge cited the board’s fiduciary responsibility and expressed concern about the project by asking, “Do we really need to spend $30,000 for someone to tell us, ‘yeah, it’s worn out.’”
“Just because a building is newer, doesn’t mean it’s better,” Odasz said. “We recently did demolition on a building that was poorly built in the 1980s.”
Claudson said one plus of the proposed evaluation is that window and insulation types are rated for quality and that small, energy-efficient changes could mean big budget savings.
At a May meeting, all but one board member agreed that a study of the building stability is necessary and a vote to initiate a study within one year passed. The board did not vote on the Plan One evaluation proposal.

Future plans?

As the new CT scan and laboratory addition nears completion, the next logical step in the strategic plan is to construct a new emergency room addition on the northwest corner of the hospital, Odasz said.
Services would not be interrupted during the ER construction and when the department does move it would free up needed space for offices in the existing area, Odasz said. The estimated price tag for a new addition is $1 million to $2 million and would use the “module concept.”
For the hospital board, the concept means sections of the hospital can be built or renovated individually and then joined with other sections. The end result is essentially a new building, through several more affordable projects.
“The new imaging and lab addition was built in four specific columns; staff, treatment, public and lab, and were designed to build up and come with built in ‘knock out panels’,” Odasz said. “It’s post/beam versus masonry of the old building, with no supports makes it easy to knock out walls.”
Board chairman Diana Elliott of Basin said she had no idea that the new addition was designed with expansion in mind, but said she liked the idea of individual construction projects.
Mental health and assisted living services are also being considered as part of the strategic planning process.
Also on the agenda at the hospital district’s monthly meeting:
• A progress report of the CT scan addition indicates completion by the end of August, a 30-day extension from last estimate. Drywall installation is in progress with mud and tape crews working in all areas. The project is nearing the next Wyoming Department of Health milestone for the above-ceiling inspection. GE personnel and the contractor are working to set a date for installation of the new GE CT scan by July 4, according to a report by Mick Duff of Plan One.
• Claudson reported on the peripheral artery disease equipment now in use. Doctors at the hospital can review test results to identify artery blockages before serious damage occurs. The reports can be sent electronically to a cardiologist if necessary.
• The nursing home staff and residents took first place for their float in the Days of ’49 parade.
• There will be an increase in the Bonnie Bluejacket Nursing Home rates starting July 1.