Construction won’t begin until next spring on the new ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano, but there is still plenty of work going on.
The planning process began in earnest earlier this year and two ThedaCare employees – Bob Olson and Amy Jagla – were recently tapped to be the project’s co-managers.
The two are tasked with overseeing the project’s progress.
“We’re the glue that holds everything together and take total ownership of the project,” said Olson, who has 20 years of experience in hospital operations in leadership and management. “We are leading a team to create a new, efficient integrated care facility to serve the people of Shawano so they don’t have to travel to obtain great medical care.”
ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano will be built adjacent to ThedaCare Physicians-Shawano on County B and will replace the existing Shawano Medical Center.
The project will create efficiencies since the clinic and hospital can share some equipment as well as streamline care. Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2014.
“This project truly demonstrates that ThedaCare and Shawano Medical Center are integrated,” said Jagla, who is the currently emergency department nurse manager at Shawano Medical Center and is transitioning into her role as clinical operations project manager. “It will be my responsibility to bring together all of the clinical needs and assure that they are addressed in the new hospital. There are a lot of wonderful new ideas being implemented into the building to make the patient experience a high quality, great experience.”
Jagla and Olson will work together with the project architect, HGA of Milwaukee, and general contractor, the Boldt Co. of Appleton.
ThedaCare and Shawano Medical Center affiliated in 2011 and building a replacement for the 80-year-old hospital was included as part of the agreement.
Olson is looking forward to bringing his experience and background in project improvement operations to the project. “We will use our project improvement process to create the most efficient use of space, improved processes for higher quality and to lower cost of care to our patients we serve,” he said.
Jagla, who has also experience in ThedaCare’s improvement process, will work to make sure improvement projects are completed before staff members move in to make sure the new hospital runs as efficiently as possible. For example, teams of employees may develop a process to efficiently get samples to and from the lab as quickly as possible.
Throughout the entire construction process, both Jagla and Olson said the hospital’s long community history will be honored. “The new building has to have the soul of the community and cultures embedded within it,” Jagla said.