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THE DAILY NEWS
Serving All of Raystown Country
Huntingdon County, PA
2016-01-07 / Front Page
ER project will begin soon
Expansion work bid awarded to State College company
By Kylie Hawn
Daily News Staff Writer
J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital officials have awarded the bid for the
upcoming emergency room expansion, and prep work is already
underway for the start of construction later this month.
The bid was awarded to Poole Anderson of State College last month.
According to a press release, the hospital received three bids in
response to the project.
Slated to cost approximately $2.1 million, the
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project will repurpose existing parts of the current
facility, including reconfiguring the wound care
expansion of the emergency department at
center to add 3,850 square feet to the emergency
J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital with ER nurse
room area.
manager Brandy Sollenberger, center, and
Jason Sheffield, left, project manager with
Poole Anderson, reviewed plans for the
emergency department medical director
John Roth this morning. Construction is
The space will be expanded to serve
3 Points Mentioned
slated to begin in a week or two, pending
plan review. Photo by KYLIE HAWN
approximately 24,000 patients per year. The current emergency room
has the capacity to serve approximately 8,000 patients per year, but
serves twice that at 16,000 patients per year.
The expansion will add five more beds, going from nine to 14, update and modernize equipment, add a second
nurses’ station, add a room to improve medication dispensing and reduce medication errors and replace beds
to have more comfortable amenities for patients.
Though work has already been done to prep the areas of the hospital impacted by the expansion, physical
construction will begin within a week or two.
“Construction will begin after the plan review is complete,” said Jason Sheffield, project manager with Poole
Anderson. “We’ve gotten started with the project’s up-front activities, which is the coordination between the
trade contractors and the phasing of the construction activities, as well as coordination with J.C. Blair staff.”
“Subcontractors have already met with hospital officials to discuss working in a hospital environment during the
construction process,” Gildea added.
Brandy Sollenberger, emergency department nurse manager, said ER staff has already made changes in
preparation for construction.
“Internally, we’ve made changes, and it feels real now,” said Sollenberger. “We’re really excited.”
Additionally, hospital officials stated in a press release that services in the emergency department will not be
disrupted during construction, and the wait will be well worth it.
“We’re adding stuff, so patients will notice the construction, but they will still be able to navigate through the
emergency department without disruption,” said Gildea.
The press release noted, “The new, expanded ER will provide a fresh, new, calming and caring environment that
will improve the patient and staff experience, safety and privacy,”
The hospital has officially matched the $1 million required to receive a $1 million state grant for the emergency
room expansion, but Gildea said people are still encouraged to donate, if possible.
“If we raise more funds, we can do the extras that we had to cut out and add some of the things that are on the
nice-to-do list, but are we’re unable to do until we can raise more funds,” said Gildea.
Notable business leaders in the county have already stepped up to the plate to donate significant funds to the
expansion, including Fred and Sue Price of Price Motors in Cassville, who donated $10,000; Jon and Angie
Thompson of Thompson’s Candle Co., Huntingdon, who donated $25,000; and Carl and Marcia Baxter of
Baxter Machine Products Inc., Huntingdon, who donated $25,000.
Construction is expected to be completed this fall.
For more opportunities to donate funds to the ER expansion project, contact Linda Carpenter, executive director
of J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital Foundation, at 643-8888.
Kylie can be reached at khawn@huntingdondailynews.com.
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