MCCALL, Idaho — Eight years after planning began, St. Luke's McCall Medical Center opened its new two-story, 50,000 square foot expansion.
On Tuesday, the hospital officially opened and immediately began seeing patients. Representatives for St. Luke's said the expansion was necessary due to the increased demand for health care services in the area.
"I'm so proud of our team and I appreciate everyone's commitment, it has been a real balancing act to ensure we are providing the best care for patients in our current space, while preparing to move into the new hospital," St. Luke's McCall Chief Operating and Nursing Officer Amber Green said.
Construction began in the summer of 2019. Prior to the approval of the expansion project, the McCall hospital attempted to maximize the original space it had with several remodels and renovations to the site over the decades, said a St. Luke's news release about the expansion.
The overall project is broken down into phases. Phase one was the completion of the structure and moving operations into the new facility. Final modifications as part of phase one will continue throughout the summer, as crews complete the property's landscaping and the paving of Hewitt Street.
The second phase will be executed over the duration of the next few years due to budget constraints, according to the release.
Phase two will include the demolition of two portions of the hospital that were constructed in the 1950's and 1990's. The clean slates will be used for street parking, a cafeteria, ancillary support departments, administrative offices and conference rooms.
PATIENT INFORMATION:
- Two new entrances to the hospital:
- The hospital said that patients should use the entrance located off the main hospital parking lot located off Forest Street, just north of the old hospital entrance. Signs are posted directing patients to the new entrance.
- The second entrance is located off State Street. As of July, the entrance can be used to drop off patients only; there is no parking available next to this entrance.
- New hospital features:
- Square footage doubled from 30,000 to 65,000 square feet.
- An expanded emergency department with additional exam rooms, modern trauma bays, an isolation bay, a safe bay and a new triage area.
- Expanded designated waiting area for patients and family members.
- Additional surgical services with more surgical rooms for a total of three operating rooms.
- A procedure room designated for colonoscopies, pain management and cataract procedures.
- Expanded lab, medical imaging and cardiopulmonary departments.
- Updated labor and delivery rooms.
The McCall Hospital began operations in 1956. It initially served as only a city hospital before evolving into a county hospital, then a district hospital, and now, the facility is a formal branch of St. Luke's Health System.
PROJECT COST:
According to St. Luke's news release
- The initial projected cost of the project was $42 million and was approved by the St. Luke's Health System Board in early 2019.
- The cost of project eventually inflated to $62 million, due to change in the construction plans and an increase in demand and cost associated with construction, particularly in labor and materials - which St. Luke's officials said was exacerbated by challenges imposed by the pandemic in 2020.
- St. Luke's McCall Foundation contributed $5.6 million through community donations. The hospital said those funds were used to equip and furnish the new facility.
"With the new expansion St. Luke's has brought the hospital into the 21st century and ensures that we can continue to provide the high-quality, convenient care the people of our community deserve," said St. Luke's McCall Public Relations Manager Laura Crawford.
"Although medicine, technology and science have exploded with possibility, what hasn't changed is the value we all place on having the right care, right here in McCall."
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