Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
ASPIRUS LEADERSHIP, providers and staff join general contractor Miron Construction Company and Ontonagon residents in breaking ground on the start of construction of an expansion of the Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital's emergency department. The work is expected to be completed in March 2017 and is part of a larger hospital renovation project.
ONTONAGON - Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital held a ceremony Tuesday to mark breaking ground on a new "state-of-the-art" expansion of the hospital's emergency department, part of a larger hospital renovation project.
The 8,200 square-foot project is part of an ongoing effort to focus on patient privacy, safety and comfort, said Aspirus U.P. Communications Assistant Kelly Fossness.
The planned work includes "highly efficient, state-of-the-art emergency care rooms; canopied entrances for easy comfortable access by patients and EMS; and updated patient rooms, halls and nursing areas," said Fossness. "The new facility will enhance and expand emergency care for Ontonagon County and the region for years to come."
The project is expected to cost roughly $2.84 million, according to information presented to the Ontonagon-White Pine Rotary Club during an April preview of the project. The current emergency department is approximately 850 square feet and is part of the original hospital structure constructed in 1968.
The emergency department is expected to remain fully functional during construction, which is scheduled to be completed in March 2017.
"As we approached the design of this project, one thing has remained constant: 100 percent of the project is focused on patient comfort, safety, quality of care and efficiency," Mike Hauswirth, the CEO of Aspirus Ontonagon Hospital and Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital said in the release. "The Aspirus Ontonagon Emergency Department expansion and hospital renovation will deliver an incredibly functional, efficient and attractive health care facility that is best suited for the care of the community today and well into the future."
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by residents, Aspirus leadership and Aspirus Ontonagon staff members. State Representative Scott Dianda, D-Calumet, and corporate representatives from Miron Construction Company - the project's general contractor - also attended the groundbreaking.
Local first responders and law enforcement, as well as the Aspirus MedEvac helicopter were also on hand as part of the ceremony.
The project is one way the Aspirus chain completes its mission as a nonprofit hospital, Upper Peninsula Regional CEO Chuck Nelson said, reinvesting "every margin dollar in people, facilities and technology."
