May 15, 2004
YKHC Public Relations
The YKHC construction staff, Donny Morgan and crew, have begun a much needed renovation of the lab at the YKHC hospital.
Last month, Donny and his crew began moving equipment into the hospital's main conference room, located across from the cafeteria, where lab services will be provided while the old laboratory is being remodeled.
Plans were to move major equipment from the existing lab to their temporary home, one piece at a time. "A rolling move," said Crow. "The lab equipment looks quite heavy." The remodel will be completed sometime later this spring or summer.
"The renovation will take at least two to three months," said Gayle Jones, Laboratory Manager. "It may take that long because construction season is coming up and our construction people will get busy doing many other things."
The renovation is needed because the lab has permanent fixtures that couldn't be moved around, so there was little or no flexibility in the workspace when new equipment, large or small, was brought in. One area of the lab would then become crowded, and with workload and staff increasing, this caused work difficulties.
This will change, said Jones, by eliminating the permanent fixtures and utilizing an open area with "movable" items so the lab could be rearranged whenever necessary, resulting in better workflow and service.
During the renovation, patients needing lab services can wait in the new waiting area since that part of the remodel is already complete, Jones added.
"Pending any unforeseen glitches, the lab service might experience minor delays but should not be significantly disrupted by the move," said Crow.