Photo courtesy of Hendricks Hospital The Hendricks Community Hospital’s six-year $7.5 million capital improvement process included a redesigned cafeteria, new centralized administrative offices,as well as expanded lab space, radiology and physical therapy. Much of the new construction was focused on the facility’s main entrance.

HENDRICKS — A comprehensive set of floor plan changes, when added together, is making a big difference for daily routines at the Hendricks Community Hospital.

A planning effort completed in 2012 resulted in a six-year capital improvement process at a cost of $7.5 million. It brought both new features and a better traffic flow, each of which lends itself to providing the best possible patient services, say hospital officials.

Much of the new construction (about 13,000 square feet) was focused on the main entrance area. The public now proceeds in one of two directions. One opens up onto the clinic waiting area, and the other leads toward new centralized administrative offices, a redesigned cafeteria and expanded lab space, radiology and physical therapy.

Toward the back of the medical center, laundry and food service needs both prompted improvements that reduced service cart traffic down long corridors.

“We wanted to address many different facility needs in one project,” said Hendricks Community Hospital Chief Executive Officer Jeff Gollaher. “What we had before wasn’t a hardship, but parts of it were not as ideal as when they were first built. Our service needs have changed, so we wanted to invest in capital improvements that would make our facility successful in the future.”

The upgrades were funded mostly by a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development loan. Some of the cost was covered by reserve accounts, donations and fundraisers.

As the planning process went forward, hospital officials needed to decide whether to work mostly with existing space or to build an almost entirely new facility.

Gollaher said the decision came down to how it was possible to have substantial floor plan improvements and a modern updated appearance at a cost savings that could be invested in medical equipment and services.

“In the long run, it would eventually have been cheaper to build new,” he said. “We looked at other factors that influence the quality of medical care, and felt that it’s better from an overall perspective to build on what we have.”

The hospital owned land on the south side of its existing facility, which was sold to the city of Hendricks for future housing expansion. The area is the city’s prime location for new housing since Lake Hendricks on the South Dakota border is adjacent to almost the entire west side of the city limits.

Changes completed in recent months provide for better placement of new equipment such as a CT scanner and a mammography machine. They’re also designed for trends such as a wider variety of outpatient services and new health care alternatives available for senior citizens.

The hospital and Lincoln Lane are operated by a locally based association comprised of members and a board of directors. Board Chairman Allen Malascon, a pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Hendricks, said the hospital has remained independently owned because of loyalty from a wide service area in southwestern Minnesota and eastern South Dakota.

An estimated 6,000 people live within the immediate service area, and are served by a staff of about 200 which includes some who commute to Hendricks from nearby communities.

“We benefit from having a great staff and strong public support,” Malascon said. “The hospital has always been a source of local pride. We’re carrying on with that tradition.”

Gollaher said employees and patients proved their commitment to the facility throughout the upgrade by adjusting to temporary service plans while construction was completed with the least possible disruption.

Several longstanding employees said they’ve seen a helpful difference in their daily work routines now that the six-year renovation process is finished.

“It’s led to a huge improvement,” said Dietary Supervisor Teri Moe. “We have more cooler space and better traffic flow both for the kitchen crew and cafeteria guests. We’ve been selling more food.”

Facilities Services Manager Kathy Robbins said significant amounts of time are saved whenever food or laundry is transported from different locations. She noted that it adds up when the same extra walking time is reduced five times a day.

Heather Bednarek, an RN case manager, said being located in a centralized office area has led to an improvement for serving home health patients who receive outreach health care.

“It’s more convenient,” Bednarek said. “There’s more space to work and it’s also easier to bring equipment in and out.”