Ribbon cut for new CA Dean Hospital

GREENVILLE — A promise made by hospital leadership, staff, and the community to be able to continue to offer quality health care for the Moosehead Lake Region has been kept with the opening of a brand new facility for Northern Light CA Dean Hospital. The new main hospital building, the Buck Family Building, was ceremonially opened with a ribbon cutting during the early afternoon of Friday, Feb. 16.

With attendees gathered in a heated tent next to the Buck Family Building — named after lead donor the late Dr. Peter Buck who made a $4 million gift to the Preserving the Promise Capital Campaign  — Marie Vienneau, FACHE, president, Northern Light CA Dean and Mayo Hospitals and senior vice president, Northern Light Health, said the day was, “Truly one of the most incredible days in the 100-year history of CA Dean Hospital.”

“After decades of imagining and decades of planning, years of thoughtful planning, the most successful fundraising in CA Dean’s history, and 22 months, this day is finally here,” she said with the ceremonial ribbon to be cut for the 11,550-square foot Buck Family Building. The hospital will open for patient care on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

“The Moosehead Lake Region’s rich health care history is built on a promise to do whatever it takes to deliver patient care,” Vienneau said, with the hospital board and staff continuing this today.

In her remarks Vienneau honored those who have led the way in fulfilling the promise for health care in the region over the years, including Charles A. Dean, who established Greenville’s first hospital in 1911; Doc Pritham, who traveled by horse, boat, train, and plane for more than six decades to care for patients; and most recently, Dr. Buck.

“Today, we recognize those who have inspired us to strengthen health care in our region for the next generation,” she said. “We also celebrate those who are carrying the promise forward, including our dedicated staff who have worked so hard for our patients in a hospital that was built for how care was provided decades ago. Despite this challenge, they are exceeding expectations in every way: last year, CA Dean Hospital was named a top 20 critical access hospital in the nation for quality.”

More than $6.2 million of the $27 million hospital project was supported by philanthropy through the Preserving the Promise capital campaign, which was completed in just 10 months. Vienneau said there were over 250 donors from near and far, with the larger project including the Buck Family Ambulance Station across the parking lot from the hospital building that includes a helipad.

Renovations are ongoing at the existing East Wing, built in the 1980s and it includes additional patient rooms, physical and occupational therapy, and the hospital kitchen. “It is being rebuilt from the ground up and will reopen in May as the Allen Family Wing,” Vienneau said, 

The Allen Family Wing will include 10 additional private rooms with long-term swing beds. The 15 total beds are expected to meet the community’s needs for years to come based on hospital patient census data and trends.

Vienneau said the CA Dean campus will look vastly different when winter returns again. Demolition and landscaping will continue on campus through the end of the year.

She said the day prior the hospital received its mobile mammography van. The unit, purchased with congressional funds provided by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, will provide women in the region with timely, convenient access to potentially lifesaving screening close to home. When the van is on the road later this year, “more women in more places will get screened,” Vienneau said.

CA Dean Hospital Board of Trustees Chairperson Linda Gilbert said hospital officials had been discussing the future of the facility for many years, and the idea of a new hospital had previously only been a dream.

“Now we have a hospital that our community not only needs but deserves,” Gilbert said. “Families who are thinking about moving here can see that we have a good hospital. Businesses looking to set up shop in Greenville know that we will have good health care here for a long time to come. A modern hospital, great schools, and a strong business base are the pillars of vibrant communities, and in Greenville and the surrounding area, we can proudly say that we have all three.”

Chief of Medical Staff  Dr. Joseph Babbitt mentioned the larger health care system saying, “At Northern Light Health we are building a better approach to health care because we believe people deserve access to care that works for them.” 

Dr. Babbitt said he has seen a number of changes in medicine for better and worse, and one of the worst has been the contraction and closure of many community hospitals as sustaining facilities such as those at CA Dean are a major challenge.

“This new hospital is an important step but it is just a step,” he said.  “We need to be resolute in our commitment in our leadership to continuing that promise.” 

After remarks, the Buck Family Building was opened for tours to see the new features and how patients will benefit.

Per the hospital, in the four-room emergency department, staff will consult with specialists on trauma care, behavioral health, and other services. A connection with Massachusetts General Hospital provides access to a vascular neurologist or neurointensivist within five minutes.

The five private patient rooms provide a quiet, comfortable environment for patients to rest and recover. Three rooms have advanced specialty care monitoring at the bedside for critically ill pediatric and adult patients, including stroke and cardiac care.

The new CT scanner and x-ray equipment offer fast scan times, a higher level of detail, and the lowest possible radiation doses. Brand new laboratory equipment will provide faster diagnosis and treatment for patients.

WBRC, Inc. served as the project architect and Dunbar & Brawn is the general contractor.