BEAVER DAM – SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital has started construction on a new dialysis center for local patients.
Work will progress at 2100 Kellom Road in Beaver Dam over the summer to accommodate patients from both the Beaver Dam and Waupun facilities, combining them into one updated location.
The new, 7,900-square-foot facility will feature more care space, new equipment, energy efficient systems and better parking, according to the hospital. It will have the capacity to treat up to 64 patients a week, with 16 patient care stations and an isolation station for high-risk patients.
Nicole Gill, SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital and SSM Health Ripon Community Hospital vice president and clinical administrator, said demand for dialysis services has grown, which partly is the result of an aging population experiencing a higher rate of kidney-related disease.
For more than 50 years, the hospital has offered outpatient dialysis services. Dialysis is the process of removing excess water and toxins from the blood in people whose kidneys can no longer perform these functions naturally.
Patients often have to spend up to four hours a day, three days a week connected to the dialysis machines, depending on their medical diagnosis, so this new facility will have a focus on maintaining a clean, inviting facility with friendly staff. The design includes a a spacious lobby and large windows in treatment areas to aid that goal.
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“We’re excited that this newer facility will help us continue to enhance our patients’ overall care experiences in a facility designed specifically for dialysis services,” SSM Health Wisconsin Regional Dialysis Director Diane Posthuma said.
“Through our new design, we will have access to more efficient spaces, which will help our staff be as productive as possible,” Posthuma added.
WDS Construction, of Beaver Dam, will lead the $2.5 million project, expected to conclude in early September.
City of Beaver Dam Mayor Mike Wissell and City Administrator Nathan Thiel joined SSM Health leaders in a June 4 ceremony for the start of construction, alongside Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tracy Propst, chamber ambassadors and WDS Construction Project Manager Trevor Viren.
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In celebration for consolidating the local centers, the ceremony included a symbolic tree planting, combining soils and water from existing Beaver Dam, Fond du Lac and Waupun locations.
WDS Construction President Ben Westra noted, “This tree is a symbol for health and growth, and we appreciate the opportunity to play a role in making this project a reality.”
For more about SSM Health in the area, visit ssmhealth.com.
Daphne Lemke is the Streetwise reporter for the Fond du Lac Reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital starts construction on new center
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