Following a fire at the Daniel Boone Clinic last month, local officials of Appalachian Regional Healthcare anticipate reopening the second floor for patients very soon.
According to Nick Jenks, facility manager at Harlan ARH Hospital, the cleanup work has been completed, minor repairs and renovations done, and the contents have been returned to offices, exam rooms, nursing stations, and waiting areas.
The results of environmental tests required by insurance standards were expected Friday but had not been received by the end of the day.
Once cleared by the report to return, the clinic staff will be able to make final preparations for the return of patients to the upstairs departments of surgery, obstetrics and gynecology.
Jenks said he anticipates having the floor reopened for patients as early as Monday, but the finishing work cannot be completed until the test results are reported.
The parking area outside the hospital’s surgery department has been blocked off this week while construction crews prepare to build structures for the new heart cath lab.
Cardiac catheterization, commonly referred to as heart cath, is a diagnostic and interventional procedure for detailed imaging of the arteries feeding the heart. It is a common and reliable method for determining heart disease and the risk for potential heart attacks.
Heart cath has been performed in Harlan before, but has not been available for about five years. This new mobile service will travel between Harlan and Middlesboro using a customized and expandable vehicle that converts down to the size of a semi trailer for transport purposes. Local cardiologists will perform the service.
The construction at Harlan consists of two phases: an outdoor ramp and canopy that connects the hospital directly with the mobile lab, and an indoor vestibule connecting outpatient surgery with the covered ramp.
Total construction time is about three months, Jenks said. The placement of the new lab will result in the loss of six to eight parking spaces on the north side of the building.
As a result of a major storm in the area in March, the buildings on the hospital campus sustained serious roof damage due to hail. Temporary repairs have been in place since early spring, and now work on completely new roofs for all structures is underway, a project in the $4 million range.
Jenks said the roofing work was “30 to 40 percent” complete and estimated another 30 days to finish the project.
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