Published: Saturday, March 23, 2013 1:06 AM CDT

The Northern Lights addition at the Avera Sacred Heart Hospital is ahead of schedule, due in part to weather conditions this winter and last summer.

The project was originally set to be completed by January 2014, but now could be done by this November.

“A lot can happen between now and this fall, but that’s the timeline we’re looking at as of now,” said Doug Ekeren, vice president of planning and development at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital. “We haven’t lost many days for construction due to rain or snow over the past several months.”

The hospital expansion will feature a new lab and some new amenities for physicians.

“Right now, we only have one conference room in the hospital,” Ekeren said. “With this addition, there will be more conference space available, and there should be better communication among staff members.”

He added that the new lab will make getting blood samples more efficient.

“Some of the other features of the expansion will be some more blood drawing rooms,” Ekeren said. “There will also be a brand new cafeteria and kitchen.”

The hospital currently has had the same cafeteria since around the 1980’s, and staff members and patients have often said it’s hard to find, Ekeren said.

“The new cafeteria will have meals available where people can find it,” he said. “Staff members have often had to trek to another building for lunch and dinner, and that won’t be the case anymore.”

In addition to just being easier to find, meal service for patients and families will also be improved. There will also be conference rooms along side of the cafeteria where staff members can grab food, then go right to their meetings.

The construction project will also have a new pharmacy, allowing biomedical services to expand into the old pharmacy. In addition, the new space allows the radiology department to expand, as well. The sleep lab will also move from the Benedictine Center into the new space.

Ekeren thinks the sleep lab will be in a better location with the new space.

Recent expansions to the hospital include the emergency department, the office pavilion and surgery center addition. However, Ekeren said the last project of this magnitude came in the 1990’s when a new entrance was built to the hospital, along with a new Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

“This is the first major project for the hospital in the last 20-plus years,” he said. “We’ve had other projects where we spent money to upgrade, but, in terms of the square footage addition, this project can’t compare to a lot of others.”

Ekeren said there are a number of advantages to finishing the project ahead of schedule.

“By finishing ahead of where we expected, there is less of an inconvenience caused for patients, visitors and staff with the construction,” he said. “We’re also able to get into new space earlier. Finishing early should have a cost savings associated with it, as well.”

The next phase for construction will be finishing the third floor completed and is expected to be turned over to the hospital by about August 1. Officials hope to have the new outpatient therapy center completed by May, as well.

Ekeren said the project solidifies Yankton’s medical reputation.

“We have strong physicians here, and a lot of specialties offered that are skills unique to the region,” he said. “With physicians being able to better collaborate and communicate with the new space, it only strengthens the regional position of Yankton in terms of health offerings.”

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