ROCK SPRINGS — The main entrance of the Labor and Delivery Department inside Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County will be closed for about a month beginning Monday to accommodate construction.

Patients and visitors will be directed just down the hall to another entry point, Labor and Delivery Department Director Megan Guess said. A camera and button, which looks like a giant Ring camera, will be set up to grant access.

“The button will ring at the nurse’s station,” Guess said. “We will then grant access after it has been discussed with the patient and nursing staff. This will slow down how quickly visitors can access our unit. We apologize for any inconvenience.”

Construction will include a new main access door, the addition of a bathroom to the recovery room, and replacement of the bathtubs in the labor rooms with walk-in showers for patients to use for hydrotherapy pain relief during labor. While main-door access will be disrupted for about a month, the entire project is expected to be complete in the fall, Facilities Director Gerry Johnston said.

“It will cause some noise and access issues during construction,” Guess said. “However, we are bringing four nearby rooms back into the Labor & Delivery Department fold, so the number of patient rooms will not be a concern during construction.”

The $426,500 project was funded by the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners.