Goodbye St. John's, hello Cabinet Peaks
<p>First patient to enter Cabinet Peaks Medical Center with Jeff Holder, left, Darlene Shaver, Dick Wernham and Bruce Whitfield CEO.</p>
<p>Eventful Moment The first spadeful of earth for LibbyÕs new St. JohnÕs Lutheran Hospital was turned at ceremonies held at the new hospital site Sunday, May 13. The new structure will have 29 beds and cost an estimated $235,000, all but $75,000 of which has already been raised. Shown here from left are the Rev. Arthur O. Werfelmann, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, who acted as master of ceremonies, and George Neils, Walter Neils and Howard E. Ahlskog, members of the hospital board. Parker Studio photo from the May 24, 1951, files of The Western News.</p>
<p>Eventful Moment The first spadeful of earth for LibbyÕs new St. JohnÕs Lutheran Hospital was turned at ceremonies held at the new hospital site Sunday, May 13. The new structure will have 29 beds and cost an estimated $235,000, all but $75,000 of which has already been raised. Shown here from left are the Rev. Arthur O. Werfelmann, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, who acted as master of ceremonies, and George Neils, Walter Neils and Howard E. Ahlskog, members of the hospital board. Parker Studio photo from the May 24, 1951, files of The Western News.</p>
<p>Tony Rebo left, and B.J. Purdy cover the emergency entrance sign to St. John's Lutheran Hospital.</p>
<p>Bruce Whitfield CEO of St. John's Lutheran Hospital announces the closing of the hospital.</p>
<p>Last patient to leave St. John's Lutheran Hospital with Bruce Whitfield CEO left, Cheryle Amos and John Thornton.</p>
With the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel, teams of healthcare workers transitioned 10 patients from St. John’s Lutheran Hospital to Cabinet Peaks Medical Center on Thursday, completing the move from the 61-year-old hospital to a modern state-of-the-art facility.
CEO Bruce Whitfield made the 5:50 a.m. announcement over the medical center’s intercom system that Cabinet Peaks Medical Center was open for business.
“I am pleased to announce that upon confirmation with our nursing staff and physicians, Cabinet Peaks Medical Center is prepared to receive patients,” Whitfield said to applause. “The board of directors has instructed us to open Cabinet Peaks Medical Center and to commence the movement of patients to the new hospital.”
With that, a Libby Volunteer Ambulance crew presented CPMC’s first patient, Darlene Shaver, 52, a Troy resident. Shaver, who was born at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital, broke her hip last Friday when she fell in her kitchen. She was transported to St. John’s where Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Joshua Urvater repaired her hip.
Shaver was brought through the Emergency Department door to a welcoming crowd that included Whitfield.
“Welcome to Cabinet Peaks Medical Center,” Whitfield said. “It’s great to have you here.”
“I am curious to see the new facility as a patient,” Shaver said.
What transpired from that instant was the transportation of nine additional patients, the last being Cheryle Amos, a 57-year-old Libby resident who also underwent surgery by Dr. Urvater, for a broken ankle.
“I’m so excited to be moving over to the new facility because of the bigger rooms, private bathrooms and showers,” Amos said. “The new ceiling lifts will make it easier for me to get around.”
With Amos’ departure followed Whitfield’s intercom announcement at St. John’s that the hospital was now closed.
“This is Bruce Whitfield, CEO at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital,” Whitfield said at 6:49 a.m. “The last patient has just left the building. As we close the doors on this facility, we realize that we are also closing the doors on a very important chapter of healthcare in South Lincoln County. We think about the patients we have served in this facility over the years and assure our community that we will provide quality, compassionate care for all patients who enter Cabinet Peaks Medical Center as well. I now proclaim St. John’s Lutheran Hospital closed.”
The patient move and the existence of two facilities lasted all of 59 minutes.
The building that was St. John’s began operation in 1952, and it underwent two large upgrades, one in 1983 and another 20 years later in 2003.
Construction of the new $35 million, 77,000-square-foot hospital began 15 months ago with groundbreaking on Oct. 12, 2012. Originally slated for completion in May, the medical center was completed four months early and under budget, Whitfield said.
As for the old facility, some business offices will be located there. Most of the administration offices will be located on the second floor of the new medical center.
Kate Stephens, marketing manager for Cabinet Peaks, said all phone numbers for the new facility are the same as those of St. John’s.