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RUGBY, N.D. () — A new medical center is being constructed in Rugby and while it may not be open yet, many residents of the area have already ventured inside of it.
Community members, hospital workers, news reporters, and even Senator Hoeven himself visited the facility this week for an in-depth tour.
The original Heart of America Medical Center was built in 1948, but after over 75 years in service, the building’s leaders state that the site is due for a much-needed upgrade.
The new 80,000 square foot building has been advertised as an all-in-one center to treat many kinds of medical conditions, and will continue to serve Rugby and the surrounding area.
“This new medical center will allow for more health care coverage in this rural community,” explained the Heart of America Medical Center’s CEO Erik Christenson. “It will also allow us to attract more health care employees, and provide necessary services in a cost-efficient manner. We will continue to have surgery services, physical therapy, and occupational services, as well as a wide range of radiology and lab services. The new building also has an acute care hospital, an ER, and a living center for long-term stays.”
The New Heart of America Medical Center will employ more than 200 people, and include new top-of-the-line technology to better help doctors treat their clients.
Patients, meanwhile, will now be able to receive care in a more timely manner than the original center could allow.
“We will have a brand-new MRI and a brand-new CT scanner,” Christenson stated. “We’ll have a brand new OR, and new versions of the same equipment. The wellness center and physical therapy is going to have a great supply of treadmills and exercise equipment that the public can use for therapy purposes.”
One of the most notable among these new resources is the Medical Center’s MRI room.
While MRI care is present in hospitals and medical centers around the world, the room in Rugby is rather unique.
According to construction professionals, it was specially designed and built out of a metal stud wall.
“On the inside of the wall is a wood wall lined with copper shielding,” stated JE Dunn Construction Project Engineer Daniel Lukens. “The copper consolidates all the magnetic waves into the MRI room, so that the MRI magnet doesn’t cause the room to collapse on itself.”
Construction officials say they are on track to finish the center by their initial completion date in September.
The old building may be no more, but its’ spirit still remains on the site — and the new medical center will continue its legacy, keeping everyone safe and healthy for more generations to come.
