Administrators spend night at new hospital

Department heads and administrators at McCune-Brooks Hospital in Carthage, Mo., got a chance to spend some quiet time together outside the regular work day and help unpack some of the new equipment during a sleep-over at the new hospital building Wednesday.

About 25 hospital staffers, including Chief Executive Officer Bob Copeland, Chief Financial Officer Tony Wright, spent Wednesday night at the new building. Copeland said it was a chance for administrators to find out what patients and night workers will experience in the new building.

The administrators and other staff started out before 7 p.m. working for several hours to unpack boxes and move some of the different pieces of equipment and furniture to their final destinations.

Copeland said a hospital is a different place at night with different sounds and conditions.

He said this was a chance to check for any unforeseen problems that might interfere with patient care.

"For example, there were some concerns that the highway noise might be a problem out here," Copeland said. "I doubt it will be a problem because of the extensive soundproofing in the building, but we couldn't know for sure until the building was built. This is our chance to see now."

Staff spent about four hours unpacking items and moving furniture and appliances before christening the new Felix E. Wright Family Chapel with its first service. Hospital Chaplain Galen Snodgrass led the staff in a Vespers Service. The service was a chance for the staff to relax in preparation for spending the night in the unfamiliar surroundings.

The move from the century-old hospital location on Centennial Avenue to the $47 million building on Dr. Russell Smith Way continues this week and next.

The new emergency room is expected to start operations at 2 a.m. Jan. 18, and operations at the old hospital should be completely shut down shortly after that.

Carthage Press