Meeting the unique healthcare needs of a rural community is, at best, difficult. Elko General Hospital, which first opened in 1921 in central Elko, had been enlarged and remodeled several times, but the need for a larger, updated facility became more apparent with each passing year. To meet this challenge, in 1998 Elko County sold the old brick building to Brentwood, Tenn.-based Province Healthcare for $22 million. Province also agreed to build a new $40 million facility, now known as Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital (NNRH).
“At NNRH we work diligently to recruit the right people to work here and to create alliances when necessary,” said Chief Executive Officer Alex Poirier. “We also must try to help others in different parts of the state to understand the unique needs we have and cooperatively work to ensure we do not have dual systems of care in Nevada. Our location is the biggest challenge we face in recruiting professionals to relocate and join our team. In order to overcome this challenge, we carefully try to match people who would enjoy the lifestyle our community offers.”
The 75-bed facility, located on Errecart Boulevard and Lamoille Highway in Elko, opened its doors Sept. 14, 2001. The three patient floors in the 125,000-square-foot hospital have large centrally located nursing stations. All patient rooms, including those in obstetrics and intensive care areas, are private and include bathrooms.
At the front entrance is a large reception area with a centralized admitting section, and a large dining room to the left. Beyond the reception area, to the south, are physical therapy rooms. To the northeast is the 15-room emergency department, with an entrance for walk-in patients and a second entrance for ambulance arrivals. NNRH also has a helipad. The emergency department, radiology department, pharmacy and five operating suites are all linked, providing more patient privacy.
The adjacent 48,000-square-foot medical office plaza, built at a cost of $8 million, includes space for 16 physician offices.
NEW SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT
When NNRH opened, its services featured an expansion of diagnostic imaging, angiography, cardiac and intensive care units. New equipment included a $1.3 million MRI, $1.4 million cardiac catheterization machine, $600,000 CT Scan, $380,000 Nuclear Medicine (SPECT), $80,000 mammography equipment, $180,000 ultrasound and computerized radiology.
Among the recently added services at NNRH is the new sleep medicine program, located on the third floor of the hospital. The center, open three nights per week, is staffed with a technician who monitors the patient’s sleep. The patient arrives at the center at 7:30 p.m. to be fitted with electrodes and sensors. Computers are hooked up to the bed and monitors, allowing the technician to both watch and listen to patients.
Dr. Helmuth Vollger, a radiologist employed by NNRH, began operation in November 2003 of the hospital’s new computerized radiology system, which replaces X-ray films. The digital system provides no loss of information, with the added benefit of image transmission to local physicians or specialists anywhere in the U.S.
Also in November, NNRH incorporated a program for third-year medical students attending the University of Nevada School of Medicine. Working with physician-mentors, the students see a wide range of medical conditions in rural areas, which helps build their confidence and experience.
Poirier said, “Since we are located more than 150 miles from the closest hospital providing cardiology and oncology services, we are working diligently to recruit physicians and develop services for the people we serve.”
