Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center is just weeks away from beginning its multi-million-dollar renovation project, and just days away from adopting its new name.
A special ceremony March 26 will mark the official change from Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center to its new name, Via Christi Hospital, a nod to its 14-year affiliation with Wichita-based Via Christi Health.
About a week later, the Pittsburg hospital will begin the first of three phases to renovate its community entrance and lobby area. Chris Kelly, director of marketing and public relations, said Friday that phase one will likely begin during the first week of April, with each phase taking 30 to 40 days to complete.
The first portion of the project will include the remodeling of the hospital’s main entrance, which will result in the second set of double doors being moved further away from the first set. Because that entrance will be closed for approximately one month during that time, visitors will be asked to use the outpatient entrance on the west side of the facility, the entrance to the hallway between the main building and the cancer center, or the stairs on the east side leading to dePaul Hall.
Phase two will renovate and expand the cafeteria area, which will become more of a “modern grab-and-go” setup, Kelly said. The third phase will remodel the gift shop and snack bar areas. Other changes during the project will include a more private lobby area further away from the entrance, and the front desk will be turned so as to make it head-on with the doors.
“When it’s all done, what you’ll have is an area with lots of light that is open and more welcoming,” Kelly said. “We’re excited about it.”
With a $750,000 price tag, the remodel of the entrance and lobby area is just one part of a $7.1 million project that is under way at the hospital. Mt. Carmel’s cancer and heart centers are also receiving major upgrades that are aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the care provided.
Cancer Center
For $2.7 million, the cancer center will install a “state-of-the-art” linear accelerator that will not only reduce radiation treatment times, but will improve the accuracy and precision of the treatments.
“Treatments generally last about 15 minutes on the previous machine,” said Jeff Phillips, manager of radiation oncology. “We can probably cut that down to 10 minutes on the new machine.”
Phillips said the new 21,000-pound machine is at the top of its class in terms of technology and capabilities. It is a much-needed improvement over the previous equipment, which Mt. Carmel had for 15 years.
“One major advantage of the new machine is that is can be upgraded as needed,” Phillips said. “The old machine could not be upgraded any more. It had come to its limits. The new equipment really positions us to move forward in the future. There isn’t a better machine on the market.”
By having such equipment at the local hospital, patients needing the services it provides will not be forced to travel long distances for care.
“To have this kind of technology, and to have this cancer center in a rural area like this is just amazing,” Phillips said. “It is something the community should be proud of. I certainly am.”
The new linear accelerator is expected to be up and running by early June. In the meantime, patients needing treatment are being referred by Mt. Carmel to a different location. Their physician, however, remains the same.
