ROCK SPRINGS – With only a few months left before residents of Sweetwater County will start to see portions of the new Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County Medical Office Building begin to open, tours were given to show hospital staff, medical staff, volunteers, MHSC Board of Trustees members and MHSC Foundation Board members the inside of the impressive new addition.

In the 80,000 sq. ft., four floor building a variety of services will be added including a new cancer treatment center, pediatrics and surgery centers to name just a few. The $18.9 million project was approved through the latest round of sixth-cent tax voting.

The first floor will house several services including the oncology or cancer treatment center. The two entrances will resemble the main hospital entrance with canopies on both sides. The first floor has hit a few snags but not on the inside, in the parking areas.

Charlie Van Over, President of Plan One Architects, explained that due to city regulations on parking lots they have had to try to make adjustments to meet these requirements. Van Over said due to these requirements and changes he feels that designers are starting to be forced to turn parking areas into streets which he said “is not very good for anyone.”

Currently, the designers are looking for other access points off College Drive to meet all the city requirements and make it safer for patients and community members.

A major feature of the new building will be the new 10-chair oncology center. Van Over explained that originally they had plans for six chairs but after a meeting with several key cancer professional found they had planned for something which had already outgrown the plans.

“We had to go back and redesign the oncology department when it became clear six chairs wasn’t going to do it,” Van Over said.

Along with the 10 infusion chairs, there will also be radiation oncology area and a small pharmacy where the chemicals can be mixed right onsite.

The first floor will also included a physical therapy section and a cardiac rehabilitation wing.

As visitors go to the second floor, several more services emerge. One of the big services on the second floor are pediatric and internal exam offices. Each doctor will have their own office and right next to the office sits five exams rooms per doctor. All are hooked up to a tube system so if tests are done, they can shoot it to the lab and the lab can get the results to the doctor quicker.

Not only is there a pediatric wing but there is also a family medicine wing also located on the second floor. This section is able to house six doctors, each with examination rooms.

Only the first and second floors connect to the main hospital due to differences in floor heights between the two buildings.

The third floor is the most secure floor in the new building and houses a brand new psychiatric wing. This unit includes several secure exam rooms plus a quiet room which can be used if necessary.

Also on the floor will be an ear, nose and throat wing as well as an extensive surgical wing including an orthopedic surgery facility. A digital X-ray machine will be placed in the wing and minor surgeries will be done in this section.

New orthopedic surgeon Jeff Johnson also got to see where he will work for the first time. Johnson said the new section as well as the remodel of MHSC several years ago was one of the main aspects which drew him to Sweetwater County. Johnson, a former Sweetwater County resident said all the new changes at MHSC are exciting and he could not wait to move into the new space.

Most of the fourth floor remains open although several doctors in the community who have recently lost office space are in talks with MHSC to move into the building. The main highlight on this floor with be the new dialysis center with eight new chairs. The dialysis wing is located right off the elevator which will make it very easy for patients to access.

Some floors are scheduled to be done by the middle of December, while a complete building opening is slated for March.

Van Over said with health care changing so rapidly, it is exciting for him to see MHSC also change with the times. He explained not only will this new building bring enhanced services and comfort to local patients it will also attract people from other areas to MHSC.

“The tax payers should be proud because this facility should pay itself off very quickly while also enhancing your quality of life,” Van Over said.