OHH Sets Nov. 7 Ribbon-Cutting for New Hospital

The finish line is finally in sight for Olney Hamilton Hospital’s new $33-million hospital.

OHH will hold the ribbon- cutting for its new facility on Nov. 7 at 10 a.m., project manager Dave Lilley told the hospital’s board of directors on Sept. 25. The event -- and the new hospital -- will be open to the public, OHH board president Dale Lovett said.

Unlike some of the remaining construction and inspection dates, Mr. Lilley, chief executive of Trinity Hughes Construction, said the ribbon- cutting date is firm.

“I believe that that’s stamped in stone,” he said, joking that it is actually “stamped in metal” because the date will appear on the hospital’s dedication plaque.

Invitations have been ordered and planning for the event is underway, Mr. Lovett said.

The building itself is rapidly changing from a con- struction project into a functioning hospital, Mr. Lilley said. Finishes are “about 95 percent” installed, and cabinets, countertops, flooring and wall protection are largely in place. The CT scanner has arrived, the kitchen floor has been replaced after problems with the original epoxy installation, and kitchen equipment has been installed.

“When you walk in there, you’re like, ‘Okay, it’s starting to get it now,’” Mr. Lilley said. “It’s almost done.”

Crews are also working through the inevitable adjustments that occur as hospital employees see their new workspaces in finished form. Respiratory therapy raised questions about oxygen use and storage, while laboratory staff requested changes to their configuration. Mr. Lilley said those issues either have been resolved or are close to being resolved.

The next major hurdle is inspections. The certificate-of-occupancy inspection was expected shortly after the board’s scheduled late October meeting, followed by additional inspections associated with opening a new hospital.

By the Nov. 7 ribbon cutting, Mr. Lilley said, the building should appear essentially complete and be fully furnished, with all or nearly all of its equipment in place. It will not yet be sterile for patient operations, however, allowing visitors attending the celebration to tour the facility. Ohh board The actual move of patients and hospital operations will come later.

Mr. Lilley said it appears possible that OHH could transition into the new hospital before Thanksgiving, but cautioned against treating that as a firm date because inspections or unexpected problems could change the schedule.

Moving a working hospital requires several days of preparation followed by a day or two to complete the transition, he said, and the timing also will depend heavily on the hospital’s patient census and medical and nursing staff.

“We’re on our descent right now,” Mr. Lilley said. “And so far it’s been pretty smooth.”