PORT ANGELES – Olympic Medical Center will have four new elevators at the Port Angeles hospital by September.
Two aging central elevators, a critical-care elevator and a service elevator near the surgery center will be enhanced with emergency power, a fire system, an infant abduction security system and other modern amenities as part of a $830,200 upgrade.
OMC’s main elevators were installed in 1952.
“If you ride in them, they still work, but they need to be updated and improved,” CEO Eric Lewis told the commissioners in Wednesday’s board meeting.
“It’s a very complex project. We’re going to also upgrade the machine rooms. It’s pretty comprehensive.”
The public hospital district budgeted $850,000 for the project.
“We do think we’ll be within our budgeted amount,” Lewis said.
Design for the new elevators is expected to be finalized by late March.
Two bids — one for manufacturing and one for mechanical, electrical and carpentry work — will be awarded at the end of April.
During the summer construction phase, OMC will close two elevators at a time for six weeks.
“It will be very destructive on operations, but we’ll get through it,” Lewis said.
Lab instrument
Meanwhile, the OMC commissioners approved the purchase of a lab instrument that “will result in a lot of very good improvements to our patients,” said Steven Blackham, OMC’s laboratory director.
The new Siemens Centaur XP equipment does chemistry analysis. It will automate some lab tests through chemiluminescence technology.
“This is going to standardize what we do,” Blackham said.
“It will bring some tests in-house and simplify our life in the laboratory.”
He said the machine is more sensitive than the technology OMC uses now.
In-house testing will benefit patients by shortening the turnaround time for lab results, Blackham said.
The Centaur XP system is capable of testing for thyroid problems, certain cancers, hepatitis, HIV and rubella. It can detect levels of hormones and vitamins in the bloodstream.
OMC will lease the machine for five years at $2,642 per month before taking ownership.
Siemens will pay the first year of the $158,520 lease, saving OMC $31,704.
Beginning in the second year, OMC will pay an annual service contract of $17,500. The first year is covered by warranty.
“Were not going to be spending any more on this than we’re presently spending on overhead,” Blackham said.
Commissioners John Beitzel, Jim Cammack, Arlene Engel, John Nutter and John Miles voted unanimously to approve the purchase.
Commissioner Jean Hordyk was attending a training seminar, and commissioner Jim Leskinovitch was away on vacation.
The board also voted 5-0 to approve an $84,810 GE X-ray system for the Jamestown Clinic in Sequim. The new clinic is scheduled to open this spring.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.