HCMH breaks ground on 40,000-square foot expansion
Humboldt County Memorial Hospital (HCMH) got out the shovels on Tuesday, April 3, not to shovel snow, although there was a measurable amount of that. The occasion was the public groundbreaking for the $16.9 million expansion project at HCMH, which kicked off last week and is expected to take 19 months. Humboldt Independent photo by Kent Thompson.
By Kent Thompson
Forty-eight years ago, sod was turned for a community hospital for the city of Humboldt and the surrounding area.
On April 3, Humboldt County Memorial Hospital (HCMH) Board of Trustee President Scott Curran used the same shovel to turn soil on a new chapter in the hospital’s history.
The new chapter will be the construction of a two-story, 40,000-square foot addition, that will provide additional space for primary care medical providers through the relocation of UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine - Humboldt inside the hospital, as well as expansion of outpatient services, rehabilitation services, cardiopulmonary services, diabetic education, dietary support, patient education area and a new conference center that will double the space of the existing center.
“Planning for this began in early 2015, about when I arrived at the hospital,” HCMH Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michelle Sleiter said.
“We wanted to put together a strong strategic plan and figure out what our hospital needed for long-term viability. So the conversations began then. This becoming a reality is a big day,” Sleiter said.
“This certainly is an exciting day for Humboldt County Memorial Hospital,” Curran remarked.
“Our new hospital wing will be a valuable asset to our community and will be something that we can all be proud of,” Curran said.
Read the full story and see more photos in this week's Humboldt Independent. Subscribe by clicking on the link above.
