Promising patient care “second to none,” Bronson Healthcare has officially launched a new era in healthcare for families along the lakeshore with the opening Monday of the new Bronson South Haven Hospital.
Bronson Healthcare President and CEO Bill Manns says, “This new facility is a $22 million investment in advancing the health and well-being of patients and families in South Haven and the surrounding region. The inpatient and outpatient care provided here will be second to none and will attract new providers and staff to this community for generations to come.”
The two-story, 52,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility is located directly east of the existing hospital and is accessible from both Blue Star Highway and Bailey Avenue. A large open two-story lobby greets patients, families and staff and offers multiple amenities including a café, gift shop, greeter station and convenient registration area with private bays. The café is a relaxing destination with expansive windows that bring the outdoors in. It will be open to the public as well as hospital visitors, serving a variety of popular menu options prepared by the Bronson South Haven dietary staff.
A significant portion of the first floor is dedicated to the emergency department, which has 14 examination rooms and trauma bays, a separate waiting area and a central nursing station that allows staff to have a 360-degree view of the entire department. The ambulance entrance is positioned on the south side of the building where it is easily accessible to emergency vehicles and to the helipad for patients requiring air transport.
The radiology department next to the emergency department, allows quick and efficient transport of emergency patients for imaging services. It serves inpatients and outpatients offering MRI, CT, nuclear medicine, X-ray, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, mammography, bone density imaging, pulmonary function testing and stress testing.
The core lab provides expedited processing of specimens from the emergency department and is centrally located to serve all departments in the hospital. An adjacent phlebotomy area with four private bays offers privacy and easy access for outpatients who need a blood draw for testing. Pharmacy services are also located on the first floor providing easy in and out access for prescriptions and retail items.
The inpatient unit has six private rooms and one semi-private room. Each room has windows with nature views, a comfortable seating area for family and guests, and its own bathroom, which includes a shower and storage area for personal items. Patients will be able to call room service and have snacks and meals delivered to their room. An open nursing station provides visual access to all of the rooms on the unit. Additional departments located on the first floor include: dietary, environmental services, maintenance, bio-med and receiving. Staff areas on the first floor include men’s and women’s locker rooms and bathrooms, consult and conference rooms, a staff lounge and a mother’s lounge for women who are breastfeeding.
Elevators and stairs provide access to the outpatient clinics on the second floor, which will open on Monday, June 7, 2021. Bronson medical practices that are moving to that clinic space in the new hospital include:
- Bronson South Haven Internal Medicine
- Bronson South Haven Family Medicine
- Bronson South Haven Pediatrics
- Bronson Women’s Services
- Bronson Obstetrics, Gynecology & Midwifery Specialists
Dr. Matthew Dommer, Bronson South Haven Hospital’s chief operating officer, says, “We couldn’t be more proud of our providers and staff who have been working around the clock to deliver exceptional care to our community, especially during the pandemic. We can now put the challenges of an aging facility behind us as we move to modern surroundings and a new, more efficient and effective way of providing healthcare services. I would like to thank everyone for their support and efforts to bring the new Bronson South Haven Hospital to life. We see a bright future ahead.”
For more information about the new hospital and to view an online video tour, you can visit http://bronsonhealth.com/southhaven.
Conducting the formal ribbon cutting on Monday were, from left to right:
- Laurel Barber, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Bronson Medical Group
- Dennis Palgen, past Bronson Healthcare board member and Covert Township Supervisor
- Kirk Richardson, Senior Vice President of Community Care, Bronson Healthcare
- Bill Manns, President and CEO, Bronson Healthcare
- Dr. Matt Dommer, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs, Bronson South Haven Hospital
- Chris Fitzgerald, Vice President of Patient Services and Chief Nursing Officer, Bronson South Haven Hospital
- Scott Smith, Mayor of South Haven
