The goal to make Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup the premier health care provider in East Pierce County is getting one step closer.
On Feb. 22, the site dedication of the hospital’s new patient Care Tower will take place.
“There’s been an expectation throughout the community that Good Samaritan would be able to build a new expanded Patient Care Tower for many years,” said hospital President John Long.
It‘s probably the main reason the hospital board chose to seek affiliation with MultiCare Health System, he said.
The nearly $400 million project will include the construction of a new main lobby, express services, in-patient nursing units, emergency department, surgery and operating rooms with a central sterile area, cardiac cath lab and interventional radiology, diagnostic imaging and loading dock.
The project is years in the making, and partnerships with not only MultiCare but also the city of Puyallup have been imperative to make it happen, Long said.
“This was a true partnership among the three entities,” he said.‚
It not only means a lot to Puyallup, but the entire region, said Puyallup Mayor Don Malloy.
“We see this as one of the real strong anchors in our community,” he said.
An expanded hospital is beneficial for the whole area and when agencies can work together challenging goals can be accomplished.
“I think you find there’s a synergism that develops between the elements in the community,” Malloy said. “The stronger those ties are, then the better it is for people in our community.”
The more local partnerships that can be developed the better the needs of the community can be met, Long said.
“There’s no doubt in my mind we will be providing a level of service that has yet to be provided in this community,” Long said.
First to go in will be drop-off and parking modifications in March, with the new Patient Care Tower opening in December 2010.
It is a far cry from where the hospital was before joining. The hospital was facing difficulty with maintaining certification and it became clear something needed to change.
“This is a very different organization than it was two years ago,” Long said.
The partnership has led to a more positive organization and the reality of expansion, he said.
The partnership has also led to the hiring of more than 580 new staff, including 100 nurses. And the partnership has also led to MultiCare being ranked as a premier health care system.
For the past six years, the organization that ranks the top integrated health networks Verispan annually ranks the top 100 networks. MultiCare Health System has been annually ranked among the top 100, but in 2008 jumped from 56 on the list to eight.
Much of that is attributed to the organizations dedication to expand Good Samaritan, Long said.
By 2016, the state has identified that Good Samaritan will need to have 275 beds. They currently have 225, but by the new tower opens in 2010 they will meet that goal, Long said.
“We’re meeting the perceived needs that have been identified by the state and our analysis for the next ten years in this community,” Long said.
It’s one step closer in making Good Samaritan Hospital the premier trusted regional medical center of choice for every person in East Pierce County, he said.
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