Onaga hospital completes expansion, sets ribbon cutting

On Sunday, Aug. 30, officials from Onaga-based Community HealthCare System will cut the ribbon that opens the doors to the newly-expanded Community Hospital Onaga, a facility that CHCS Director Eric Bjelland says is “really exciting.”

Nearly 60 years after the existing Community Hospital Onaga opened its doors under the leadership of C.C. Stauffer and Roy Tessendorf, the new hospital building marks the start of a new era for the residents of the communities served by CHCS. The public will have the opportunity to view the new facility at an open house set for 1 p.m. that day.

Construction of the new facility was prompted by “age and infrastructure and a desire for expanded services,” Bjelland said. As a designated Critical Access Hospital, the Onaga facility, which opened in 1957, was risking loss of its CAH licensure without adequately updated fire protection. Furthermore, it was undersized with small patient rooms that no longer meet the expectations of those patients, it was reported.

A public vote was held in early April 2013 for voters in the hospital’s district to decide whether they were willing to authorize the debt structure for the financing of a new hospital. The measure passed overwhelmingly, with 80 percent of the district’s voters giving the hospital plan their approval.

“That was fairly unprecedented,” Bjelland said of the vote. “That was a wonderful thing, and that basically says a resounding yes to a new hospital.”

The CHCS hospital district, which covers sections of Jackson, Nemaha and Pottawatomie counties, soon issued general obligation bonds through USDA Rural Development, and groundbreaking occurred in 2014. Murray Company of Overland Park served as the managing contractor on the construction project, and Bjelland said the company is currently in the process of putting finishing touches on the new facility.

“It’s crunch time,” he said. “It will be released to us at the grand opening.” 

With the new facility, CHCS has added MRI and CT technology to its available services and expanded its available imaging services, as well as new options for outpatient surgeries, Bjelland said. The hospital has also expanded its labor and delivery capabilities for young mothers.

“We’ve also got more specialty doctors coming into Onaga, so our patients don’t have to worry about traveling out of the area to see a specialist,” he said.

Prior to the grand opening, Bjelland said the new hospital facility will hold some private tours to familiarize staff with the facility, as well as visiting specialty doctors “or any other doctor we might entertain for outpatient services.” He also noted that private tours will be available for emergency personnel in the area, such as EMTs, police and firefighters, who will be making use of the new facility.

“We’ll be able to conduct some drills before we open the hospital,” he said. “They’re mainly for regulatory purposes, but it’s also nice to be able to get them done while we have an empty shell. We’re taking every opportunity to work with what we have and be creative.”

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, program and invocation at 1 p.m. that day, public tours of the new facility will begin. Refreshments will be served throughout the event, it was reported.

The hospital is located at 120 W. Eighth St. in Onaga, but parking will also be available at Onaga High School at 500 High St. Starting at 12:30 p.m., buses will take guests to and from the hospital facility, it was reported.

Community HealthCare System owns and operates health centers in Onaga, Holton, St. Marys, Centralia, Corning, Frankfort and Westmoreland. For more information, visit www.chcsks.org