SRMC's Pole Creek Estates is Newest Provider of TLC for Area's LTC Needs

SIDNEY--After many years of planning, construction was completed and the ribbon was cut. The public was eager to tour the new world-class Long Term Care facility at Sidney Regional Medical Center on Thursday, September 12, 2024. The ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening were attended by a large crowd, eager to see the completed project that was many years in the making, and that will offer the community a well-appointed long-term care solution. The addition of Pole Creek Estates was a project that required many people and organizations to work together and overcome challenges, and the result was as good as advertised.

Dr. Rebecca Allard, Medical Director of Pole Creek Estates, spoke about the new facility. She said, "There are 63 beds, some of them are double occupancy or semi-private rooms, but the vast majority of them are private rooms. We are close to full occupancy, but we still have a few beds available."

The facility is on the west side of SRMC and has an adjoining hallway for access. Rather than having a facility located miles away from the hospital, Pole Creek Estates is connected with the hospital, allowing residents to access the hospital's medical services without needing transportation to another facility. It not only makes living easier for the residents but makes the operations of the staff more efficient and smooth.

Allard said, "This is their home, but we also want it to be their community. We wanted to make sure all of the features of the old facility, like the hair salon, were kept while adding more things for them to enjoy like the coffee shop. We want to keep the people who are living here full-time as happy as we can and to make it as much as a home as we can."

"The biggest challenge about this is that we have been talking about this new facility for 11 years--ever since I first came here. The biggest hurdle was financing to start with and community support for it. It's always been the goal, especially since we moved the hospital, to add the nursing home because we knew that we needed it and the community needed it. The biggest challenge was to figure out how we could do it and how we could make it function financially and physically"

When asked how she felt coming into the facility for the first time, Allard said, "I love it. I hadn't seen it with the furniture in it until today, so it's kind of a sigh of relief that we're finally at this point. I saw the facility a few months ago when it was just sheet-rock, and now to see it with paint and furniture is exciting."

Walking through the facility, people were impressed with the warm color tones and comfortable appointments throughout. New recliners and sofas, well-laid-out eating areas, and a modern yet familiar feel to the facility impressed the curious and future residents. Every modern convenience was designed into the facility, both inside and out. There are multiple patio areas with comfortable seating, and some have grilling stations for outdoor dining and to enjoy the outdoors steps away from the residents' rooms. Besides comfort, significant upgrades from the prior facility will help the staff and residents, such as having oxygen piped through the walls and available to every room, cutting out the need for oxygen machines that are noisy and require a staff member to operate.

Heath Faranzen and Vaughn Martin of Sampson General Contractors were the men behind the construction of the facility. When it was noted how quickly the construction was finished, Faranzen said, "I think a lot of things went our way. We bid the job out at the right time of year, in early winter. We had had the groundbreaking last June, and the weather during the time of construction was pretty much perfect."

Martin added, "We had a lot of great subcontractors on the job. Early on it was a little difficult to find the right subcontractors for the job as some were hesitant to come out here, so it took hundreds of phone calls, but we found the right team. We had maybe one or two people that we had to pull along, but for the most part, this was a very good job for everybody. And to see the support from the community that came out today for the ribbon-cutting is amazing"

Sampson did such a good job that the project came in over $300,000 under budget. This allowed SRMC to make a few upgrades and certain touches that they were going to have to find a way to pay for later on. But the efficient construction work saved enough money that upgrades like enhanced landscaping were done now, and wouldn't have to wait. The 44,500 sq. ft. facility was able to be loaded up with all of the enhancements that SRMC administrators believed would have to come later as another funded project.

Judy Frerichs, Vice President of Extended Care Services for SRMC, had the honor of cutting the ribbon at the dedication ceremony. She was very emotional during the ceremony and spoke about how she felt seeing the new facility open.

"All of the residents and individuals over years that have been frustrated with a roommate, or not having enough room for their stuff, to be able to give 51 of 63 individuals their own room without having to share it with a roommate is the best gift we could ever give these people. That's always been a big thing, as they would ask "Can't we have our own rooms?", so for us to give that to them now, and the rooms are beautiful, it's such a great gift."

On Wednesday, September 18, the move to the new facility will start early in the morning for the residents. The goal is to have all the residents over into the new facility by lunchtime. Upgraded kitchen and laundry facilities give the residents and staff a better place to live and work, and Frerichs said that the residents are excited about their new living spaces.

SRMC CEO Jason Petik was proud of the facility and reflected upon the hard work required to complete the project.

"This facility came in at a total cost of 24.5 million dollars. We had the Board fund half of that, the USDA gave us long-term financing for another $12 million, and Points West Bank helped with the construction financing. The County Commissioners and City Council were very supportive during this whole process, and many phone calls and letters were sent to the USDA on our behalf to make this project a reality. We can't thank all of those involved enough for their help."

Petik has made significant improvements to SRMC during his tenure, and with Pole Creek Estates now completed, he is turning his attention to another project that will add even more services to SRMC and benefit the community.

"We have a big project coming up, and we're looking to partner with Regional West Medical Center to build a new cancer center facility, and we're moving forward. The land has been re-zoned for its use, and hopefully, by next spring we will start on the new facility here in Sidney," said Petik.