Public gets first look at hospital expansion

LAURIUM — The public got its first look at the completed expansion of a local hospital.

The first phase of the $15 million renovation project at Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital in Laurium is complete. The new addition is 21,000 square feet and features new patient care rooms, intensive care unit and emergency room.

Chief Operating Officer Mike Hauswirth said, “We have been growing, we’ve been expanding quite a bit, and we did have an old infrastructure. The core of our hospital was built in the 1920’s so we’re finally getting to the point where we can get our patients and our staff the comfort they deserve.”

Patients will find the hospital easier to enter and more comfortable while they are being cared for.

Regional Chief Executive Officer Chuck Nelson said, “The level of compliment to the care, in terms of the ability to treat patients in the room with the various monitoring systems and the medical record and the things that add to the patient experience, are going to be something that you will definitely notice.”

Hospital staff and patients will move into the new space later this week.

Phase two begins next week to expand the surgical center and construct new pre/post operation suites. Phase three will enhance diagnostic tests and streamline patient registration.
All of the work is scheduled to be completed by March 2016.