ALMOST THEE

Contractors are putting the finishing touches on Kimball's new hospital, with a planned completion date of Jan. 12 and a projected opening of Feb. 5. 

Those dates are pending inspections by several entities and are certainly not "set in stone" according to Troy Kurz, Director of Facilities at KHS and project manager for the $43 million new construction project.  Kurz said final inspections by the state fire marshal and state electrical inspector are complete and final reports are expected within a few days.  But before the new hospital opens, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services will do a thorough inspection of the building and equipment and must ultimately issue an operating license.

Meanwhile, electricians are finishing up trimming devices, new mammography equipment is installed and painters are completing final touch-ups in the building.  Room and directional signage is being installed throughout the facility, a project taken on by Stuart Tritt, owner of The Right Impression in Kimball. 

"We're just very excited to be able to offer the many new services and features with the new building," Kurz said, pointing to modernized surgical capabilities, in-house CT and MRI services, larger inpatient rooms and additional services in mammography, chemotherapy, cardiac rehabilitation and an expanded physical therapy department as good examples.

"This project has been in the planning and construction phases for quite some time," added Cassie Gasseling, chief financial officer at KHS.  "It's exciting to see it finally coming together."