by Chris Kulchak

First occupants of the new Elks Hospital by March of 2000 will be the medical practices of Intermountain Orthopedics and Idaho Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Following the successful relocation of these tenants and completion of the majority of the new building, the inpatient and support services of Elks Rehabilitation will move in April. Pediatric rehabilitation services that are now provided at 116 W. State Street will also move into the new facility in the spring of 2000.

Once the older facility becomes vacant, it will be removed from the campus. When demolition is complete, the front lobby area of the building will be built along with parking and entrances from Robbins Road.

When the new hospital is fully constructed and parking areas are finished, the outpatient services now delivered by St. Luke's Idaho Elks Rehabilitation Services at 300 W. Main Street will move into the new Elks Hospital. St. Luke's Idaho Elks Rehabilitation Services will continue to operate their Meridian clinic at St. Luke's Meridian Medical Center following the Boise site's relocation.

Throughout the transition from old building to new, service to patients and physicians will not be interrupted, including admissions. A hospital staff task force is currently developing a detailed plan for the move, which will employ a professional moving contractor.

Though relocation will involve hundreds of additional man hours for hospital staff, the reward of caring for patients in a larger, more centralized facility will be well worth the effort. Not only will the new hospital provide a more modern environment for patients to receive care, the new facility's design will actually improve care delivery. Patient rooms will be larger and more flexible in their use. Though bed count won't increase in the new hospital, more private rooms can be made available, which will improve patient satisfaction. The atmosphere will also improve, thanks to the building's many windows which maximize the views surrounding the hospital, especially in the arm dedicated to patients.

To upgrade therapeutic environments, neurologic and orthopedic inpatient treatment will be separated onto different floors of the hospital. Locating orthopedic patient rooms and therapy on the third floor and neurologic inpatient and day treatment programs on the second floor will allow for greater specialization of environments for patients. Placing outpatient services and programs on the first floor will not only result in greater specialization of the care environment, but will also offer more direct access to the more ambulatory patient.

Community education will also take a step forward in the new hospital, thanks to larger meeting rooms. Private dining rooms will host small groups in the cafeteria; a conference center that seats 100 is planned for heavy utilization once the hospital opens. Several smaller conference rooms will be located throughout the building to provide meeting areas for family conferences and treatment team staffings.

Members of the Elks medical staff will be invited to a premiere of the new hospital at the annual medical staff meeting in March. The meeting and dinner is "a great opportunity for the medical staff to have a tour of the new building before it's up and running," stated medical staff president David K. Merrick, M.D. "The new hospital is a wonderful development that will enhance the care of people with disabilities in our region," he added, "and physicians should take the opportunity to see first-hand this accomplishment made in our community". ---TP