New Lobby To Open Monday At Southwest Medical Center

Southwest Medical Center employees, visitors and patients will receive an early Christmas present with the debut of the new lobby and gift shop areas.

“At 6 a.m., Monday morning (November 7) patients and visitors alike can enter the hospital through our partially completed new lobby area,” said Vice President of Operations Michele Gillespie. “The hospital greeter will be on hand to help guide visitors to our existing registration area for patients and there will be signs in place as well.

The main entrance drive, which was reconfigured to accommodate the hospital’s “new look” will also be open to patients, visitors and staff.

Although it has been a challenge to find parking during the construction phase of the project, once it is completed, hospital officials said, there will be 80 to 90 additional parking spaces.

The lobby is not the only thing to have its debut next week.

“Our new gift shop and snack bar will open Tuesday morning,” Gillespie said. “And we are planning ribbon cutting with the Liberal Chamber of Commerce for that area at 11 a.m. that morning.”

Southwest Medical Center Auxiliary members have been hard at work getting ready for their first day of business.

“Everything looks just beautiful in the gift shop,” said Southwest Medical Center Public Relations/Marketing Director Nancy Kletecka. “Our Auxiliary members have out done themselves. They have a number of new items and also have their Christmas items out.”

Landscapers have also been hard at work bringing in plants and grass that is native to the Southwest Kansas area.

The $22 million construction project began a year ago and they are half way through. The medical office building is expected to be completed some time in February if not sooner. The entire project is expected to be finished by the late August of 2012. But before that date is reached, there is still a lot to be done.

“We still have a lot of work to do, including the work on the new emergency room, registration (patient admitting) area and some remodeling inside to areas such as the cafeteria,” said Southwest Medical Center CEO/President Norm Lambert. “But, when it is all said and done, I think we will have a facility the staff and community will be very proud of.”