In Sept. 20 Issue

Russell County News

The Casey County Hospital opened the doors recently to their all new facility. The new hospital contains the latest in design and features the new concept of all patient rooms being private and equipped with the most advanced monitoring and care rendering equipment.

The hospital has 24 private rooms,  new state-of the art CAT scan equipment, all new x-ray department, a fully staffed emergency room,  new laboratory, new kitchen facility, dining room and all designed in new attractive colors and care giving design.

Administrator Rusty Tungate stated the new facility was much needed in the area and he is so excited that Westlake TeamCare was involved in this new health care facility. Pauline Davenport, Project Director, added, the new hospital has been so well received. Patients from the old facility were moved last week and the transition went so smooth and the second day the new facility was open, all bed were in use.

The old War Memorial Hospital, built in 1945, suffered through some lean financial years with multiple changes in administration and hospital board members from the mid-1980s to the end of 1991 when the state ordered it closed.

It remained closed until December 1994 when the hospital was again able to meet state hospital requirements.

Westlake took over management of the hospital in April 1996 and by October had reduced the hospital debt by $234,000. By the end of 2001, it was debt free. .

Sue Antle, Director of Nursing services said the county is very fortunate to have a hospital like this.  “No corners were cut,” she said, referring to the building and equipment. Antle credited the success of the new hospital to what she called “good business, and that’s Rusty Tungate,” the hospital administrator

Ground was broken in April 2007 for the $20 million, 40,000-square-foot facility. Doster Construction started on the project in July, finishing in just 13 months.

Doster also built an accompanying administration building next door to the hospital. The 4,500-square-foot building houses 10 offices, a classroom/conference room, and the board meeting room.

CEO Tungate said he was very pleased with the project. “It came together very quickly,” he said. Director Davenport reports the old hospital will be torn down and the site will be used for parking and a helicopter landing pad.

Official dedication services for the new Casey County Hospital will not be held until sometime in November. Tungate said the board would like to wait until the old hospital is razed, which won’t take place until sometime next month.