During the next 18-24 months, CGH Medical Center will undergo major construction involving the entrance, lobby, Admitting department, Auxiliary Gift Shop, and the CGH Café. The 20,000 square foot project will enhance and modernize the most dated parts of the hospital and will provide a number of benefits, including:
- expanded, comfortable lobby seating;
- improved patient flow and a more welcoming environment in the lobby area, as well as a more private and confidential admitting/discharge experience;
- a new reception area;
- improved security surveillance;
- family/patient consultation rooms; and
- upgrades and renovations to the CGH Café and the cafeteria seating area.
“This project is really about ensuring that our patients have the best experience we can possibly provide from the minute they walk in our doors,” said Cindy Zander, CGH Vice President of Support Services. “We want them to feel welcome and relaxed in an environment that reflects the high quality of care and service we offer.”
Phase 1 was completed in June of 2023 with a remodel of the Ryberg Auditorium and classrooms. In July, Phase 2 began with temporarily relocating the Admitting Department and CGH Auxiliary offices to the classrooms. Construction also started on the new Auxiliary Gift Shop housed in the former Admitting space.
Phase 2 will continue through Spring of 2024. This will include the construction of a new addition at the hospital’s main entrance and will feature an atrium with expanded lobby space, as well as space to incorporate increased security protection measures for our staff and patients.
As construction begins on the exterior addition, it is important for our patients to know that CGH’s Main Entrance will be closed beginning October 13, and all patient and visitor arrivals will be redirected through the West Entrance. Here are some important upcoming dates:
- October 12: The Patient/Visitor parking lot for the CGH Main Entrance will be blocked off.
- October 13: The Main Entrance lobby doors will be closed. Patients and visitors should park in the lot near the West Entrance, located between Locust St. and 1st Avenue. Visitors may also park in the East lot and use the East Entrance (that faces 2nd Avenue).
“Other than the exterior addition, which will be built by outside general contractor Winter Construction, all in-house construction during this project is being completed by our internal CGH Plant Operations and Maintenance (POM) staff,” said Zander. The POM staff are the 24/7 in-house professionals responsible for the construction, groundskeeping, painting, lighting, plumbing, electrical, HVAC systems and routine maintenance of our very complex healthcare facilities. “As a not-for-profit community hospital, our Administration and Board are always mindful that we must be good stewards of our resources. We are proud to say that by utilizing our amazing POM staff for a majority of this project, we save millions of dollars in construction costs.”
“We are continually looking for ways to enhance CGH and our patient experiences,” said Dr. Paul Steinke, CGH President and CEO, “and many times, this means adding new technology or providing new services. However, the last renovations in our cafeteria and lobby were completed in 1986 and 1988, so we are long overdue in revitalizing and investing in these areas of the facility for our patients and staff now and into the future.”
Thank you for your patience during this challenging construction period. Make sure to watch for parking/construction updates on our CGH Medical Center Facebook page, through local media outlets, or visit www.cghmc.com/construction.
