PMC Hosts Groundbreaking for Expanded Facilities April 13

Front Drive and Drop Off Area for Hospital

After several years of planning, the expansion and renovation plans for Prowers Medical Center in Lamar are set to proceed.  The $7.6M venture will take an estimated 18 months and will impact about eight areas of the hospital including HVAC and electrical renovations.

A groundbreaking ceremony has been planned for Monday, April 13^th at 11am and the public has been invited to attend the festivities which include a BBQ following the traditional earth-turning at the construction site.

The expansion will cover 12,000 square feet of space within the hospital and will improve the quality and at times the quantity of care future patients will receive.  One area includes expanded operating and emergency room services, along with an added measure of security and privacy for those patients.

New Registration Area at PMC

Some early construction has added a new check-in site for patients, just several steps past the main entrance on the south side of the hospital.  Even though everyday hospital functions will continue over the next 18 months, some allowances will be made for the work.  The rear entrance, adjacent to the emergency room, will be off-limits and the MRI unit is also being moved to accommodate the physical work being done.

Three years ago area voters soundly defeated an earlier expansion proposal for the hospital which would have required a financing construction bond within the hospital district.  Apart from the bond itself, most voters felt those early plans, which included a 500 seat meeting room, were not in line with the most basic needs of the hospital.

By Russ Baldwin