When the Sidney Health Center recently opened its new surgical wing, it was easy to anticipate many advantages over the old surgical area.

One that came to the forefront recently, however, wasn’t expected. At least not this soon.

Some Extended Care residents needed to leave their living areas for a couple of nights because of flooding caused by a sprinkler pipe break. There were nine residents from Angel Avenue – the Alzheimer’s wing – that stayed in the outpatient rooms in the new surgery wing.

Bill Vander Weele | Sidney Herald Activities aide Marilyn Halvorsen, left, helps Extended Care residents Geri Miller, center, and Anna Mathieu play the Wii bowling game Monday. Some Extended Care residents stayed in the hospital’s new surgery wing during a recent water pipe line break. The Foundation for Community Care is starting a capital campaign for building improvements at the facility.

“It went very smoothly,” Kay Johnson, Extended Care administrator, said. “To be able to use the outpatient rooms was a blessing.”

Because the nurses station is located in the middle of the outpatient area, supervision worked well for nurses. The patients, meanwhile, took advantage of being able to walk around in the wing.

Rick Haraldson, CEO of Sidney Health Center, said the plan was in place to use the outpatient rooms in such an emergency. It just wasn’t expected to be needed just a month after the wing opened.

“It was really nice to see it in an emergency situation how it was intended to be,” Haraldson said.

He commended Extended Care staff for reacting quickly during the incident without any interruption of care.

The breaking of the pipe came about 3 p.m. Nov. 21 in Angel Avenue. Johnson credits the Sidney Volunteer Fire Department, Restorx and Sidney Health Center engineers for working quickly when some flooding occurred.

“The fire department was great – moving tables, etc.,” Johnson said.

Most of the damage was restricted to the small dining/activities area in Angel Avenue. All residents’ rooms are again being lived in.

The incident draws attention to the fact the Extended Care facility is getting older. Since being constructed in 1961, the building has been remodeled in 1972 and 1991.

Sidney Health Center has approached the Foundation for Community Care regarding a capital campaign for Extended Care. The first phase of the project, which addresses building needs at Angel Avenue and the physical therapy room, costs about $3.5 million. The total project is $6.4 million.

“That would be about doing the best for our elderly,” Leona Colvin, executive director of the Foundation for Community Care, said of the project. “It’s for a special place for these folks who have more needs.”

The goal is for construction to begin in the spring of 2010, shortly after the current project at Sidney Health Center is completed.

“Definitely, the community won’t be asked to raise all the money,” Haraldson said. “There are some funds available and we want to move forward to improve Extended Care.”

Colvin added, “There’s existing money for capital repairs at Extended Care. It seems like a normal progression that the Foundation will help the community to make this happen by organizing this capital campaign.”

The capital campaign drive is expected to start sometime this spring.

editor@sidneyherald.com