Home-grown health

State-of-the-art facility set to open doors

January 22, 2006

DAWN DE BUSK\Frontiersman reporter

PALMER -After taking a tour of the soon-to-be-open Mat-Su Regional Medical Center's birthing center, senior citizen Lois Feaster joked that she wanted a reservation for one of the luxurious rooms with 24-hour food service, and how she'd be the oldest woman in the Valley to give birth.

From the state-of-the-art medical machinery to attention to detail - like using only local artists for the prints and photos hanging on the walls - the hospital sparkled with newness as 676 senior citizens from the Valley and Eagle River toured the facilities Thursday.

&#8220I'm very impressed. It's top of the line. At my age, that's a big thing. I'm retired military, and for surgeries we would have to drive to Elmendorf Air Force Base. It's nice to not have to drive as far,” Palmer resident David Brown said as he and his wife, Zola, finished previewing the structure, which is slated to go into full operation Jan. 27.

Michelle Delaney, who owns Mad Banana Creative Services and was contracted by Valley Hospital to help with public relations, said most seniors liked the fact that the hospital offers an alternative to traveling to Anchorage.

&#8220Everyone has gushed and gushed. All the feedback included: ‘The hospital is gorgeous. It's so high-tech.' and ‘We don't have to drive to Anchorage anymore.'” Delaney said.

A second open house will be offered to the general public from 2-5 p.m. today, with entertainment provided by Just Playin' Jazz and the Alaska Children's Choir.

People who attend the community preview will get a sneak peak of all the hospital's rooms, learn what the equipment does, meet some new faces, as well as view the Valley from not-yet-occupied patients' rooms on the second floor.

&#8220This is a good opportunity, for example, to get all your questions answered about the OR (operating room), because if you came in when the hospital is open, you might be on a stretcher,” hospital spokeswoman Elizabeth Ripley said. &#8220What is most meaningful to me is our ability to turn the heads of high-quality, specialized physicians.”

Dr. Phillip Jones, a cardiologist with the Alaska Heart Institute in Valley Hospital Medical Center who has 18 years of experience, will design the protocol for the hospital's cardiac program.

&#8220Open-heart surgery is five years away. We don't need it as often because stents placed in the arteries solve problems, but right now, people needing heart surgery have to go to Anchorage,” Jones said. &#8220They recruited some real veterans here.”

Ten percent of the senior population in the Valley and Eagle River showed up for Thursday's event, and the hospital recruited a handful of volunteers that day, Ripley said.

&#8220The volunteers are incredibly impressive. They are at one with the staff in terms of knowledge of the facility. They've gone all out to make this a special event,” Ripley said.

Volunteer Robin Bumgardner led four tours and plans to help out today, as well.

Besides providing walk-abouts, Bumgardner helped teach people how to operate the new menu.

&#8220The computer interfaces with the medical staff and the dietary department, so if someone tries to order something they aren't supposed to eat, we know,” Bumgardner said.

&#8220We've hired two chefs who prepare five-star meals. We want families to want to eat here when they come to visit people in the hospital.”

Contact Dawn De Busk at

352-2252, or dawn.debusk@

frontiersman.com.