Health festival to showcase new entrance at Mercy Hospital
Photo
The new front entrance at Mercy Hospital as seen from the new healing garden in front of the building.
JANESVILLE — A 15,000-square-foot, $7 million expansion at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center will be open for tours Saturday during a Family Health Festival, said Barb Bortner, Mercy’s vice president of marketing and public relations.
“With the growth in our trauma services, we really found that our existing facility just wasn’t big enough,” she said.
The patient services expansion is nearing completion, and the new hospital entrance will open for patients Monday, Nov. 28.
The expansion includes:
-- A new main entrance and lobby. An expanded pick-up area will provide easier access for people with mobility concerns, Bortner said.
The new lobby includes patient registration, more restrooms and an expanded waiting area that will provide a “tranquil and soothing atmosphere” for families waiting for trauma or surgical patients, Bortner said. A three-story glass façade brings in more natural light.
-- New, expanded consultation rooms where families can meet privately with surgeons and hospital staff.
-- A new notification system for families that will allow them to move around the area while patients are in surgery. Families will be given a cell phone, which a staff member will call when the physician is ready to meet with the family.
-- An open staircase to the ground floor providing convenient access to the cafeteria.
-- A redesigned gift shop in the lobby and an expanded healing garden outside the lobby entrance.
IF YOU GO
What: Family Health Festival
Where: Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center, 1000 Mineral Point Ave., Janesville.
When: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday
Activities include: Free pancake breakfast with a donation of a non-perishable food item for the ECHO food pantry, kids activities and refreshments and behind-the-scenes tours of Mercy’s newly renovated hospital services and new front entrance. The first 150 kids will get a free bike helmet, and every family will get a chance to win a $250 VISA gift card.
Free screenings: Blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and breast screenings will be available. Appointments are required for breast screenings, and can be made by calling (608) 756-6100. Free flu shots will be given to the first 200 guests.
For more information: Visit the event page at facebook.com/mercyhealthsystem and click on events.
Nov 22, 2011 at 1:21 p.m.
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I'm not sure why there is so much negativity about this. Like it or not, hospitals and any clinic for healthcare is a business as well as a provider of healthcare. Why do people feel so entitled to receive healthcare but not pay for it? The ER and trauma center has to treat people, regardless of their ability to pay. I know when my brother was there he was on medicaid and he received the highest level of care from the trauma team; I was impressed. There were no discussions about payment, and his treatment was not affected by his financial status. We were treated with respect the whole time and the facility was nice, clean, and the doctors and Intensive Care nurses were amazing. So why is this business not allowed a facelift to bring it up to date?
Nov 20, 2011 at 9:45 p.m.
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were the contractors from Wisconsin?? Local??
Nov 19, 2011 at 3:52 p.m.
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What a beautiful facility. I was at the open house this morning and got my flu shot and a bike helmet for my son.
Nov 19, 2011 at 10:52 a.m.
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The article doesn't reveal how much this new front door extravaganza is costing, or who has agreed to pay for it.
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I'm surprised that the new lobby doesn't include a sensing device that shunts all who lack an insurance card out the backdoor, where a bus will be waiting to collect enough patients to take them away and dump them somewhere. It's coming, folks, unless we rationalize our health care system. But don't expect Mercy to be part of the solution. It's too busy spending hand over fist trying to keep up with the Joneses.
Nov 18, 2011 at 10:58 a.m.
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Like my mom always said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." It's really sad to see the constant stream of negative comments on this site.
Nov 18, 2011 at 10:16 a.m.
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Congratulations to Mercy Hospital for making an impressive improvement to the Entrance to the Hospital. You have provided employment to many during the construction. To bad there are those whose only purpose in life is to down play, insult any improvement that doesn't meet with their personal approval. Thanks again for an impressive addition to the Hospital.
Nov 18, 2011 at 6:28 a.m.
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A "showcase" is an object. It is not something that is done. They may "call attention" to the new entrance. they may "advertise" the new entrance. They may "show off" the new entrance but they cannot "showcase" the new entrance.
Nov 18, 2011 at 4:37 a.m.
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This new facade is helping trauma vicitms HOW? Poor excuse to build. Mention trauma and highlight the entrance? Yah. No mercy in the trauma of capitalist pursuits like this IMHO.
Nov 18, 2011 at 1:24 a.m.
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Thank you, janesvillean. We can kill two birds with one stone here. Partial solution to the deficit issue and the first step toward health care reform -- tax hospitals as profit-making businesses, which they are. If they can spend money on construction projects like this and North Pointe (by Beloit Health Systems) they can afford to pay taxes.
Nov 17, 2011 at 10:59 p.m.
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If you don't look at this and understand why health care reform is needed in this country, I can't help you.
Nov 17, 2011 at 9:51 p.m.
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competing with the new hospital?
Nov 17, 2011 at 6:02 p.m.
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A new facade. Seriously, how much more symbolic can you get?
Nov 17, 2011 at 5:31 p.m.
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Mercy health systems did a great job on this project. Go on saturday and you will see what local contractors (H&H electrical, DeGarmo plumbing, Butters-Fetting Mechanical and many more)can build. The entrance is a show piece that Mercy should be proud of. How can you hate a company that employs as many local residents as Mercy.Don't hate the player, hate the game.
Nov 17, 2011 at 4:17 p.m.
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Looks like a fricken bank entrance,, i suppose it is one in a way.. in todays economy... with most banks .. you go in expect to have some money when you come out,, but don't.. Mercy is going to be no different.. who do you think is going to be paying for this in the long run...
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