Nov. 3--The Perham community witnessed the future of healthcare Monday.

Community leaders broke ground on a new Perham Hospital Monday afternoon, christening one of the most important and aggressive building projects in East Otter Tail County history.

The new hospital will be a 120,000 square-foot facility with a $35 million price tag that will move East Otter Tail County healthcare into the future.

The current Perham hospital is 50 years old and suffers from noise and privacy concerns, according to hospital officials. The plumbing, heating and other infrastructure date back to original construction and needs to be replaced.

Hospital care was a lot different in the 1950s and the small rooms of the original hospital are not large enough for the technology needed to be a state-of-the-art hospital, officials said.

"It is our turn to step up to the plate and hit a home run to bring the new hospital to Perham," said Trudy Swanson, campaign chair for the new facility. "We have a chance to make it a state-of-the-art facility."

"Our fingerprints will be embedded throughout the building when we see, touch, and hear the variety of amenities that will bring healing to patients, family, friends and staff," Swanson said.

The new hospital will be special upon entering the door. A lake theme will be evident throughout the new hospital and will have an emphasis on natural light, water features and interior finishes that will aid the recovery process.

But it's the care and recovery that will truly be special, officials said.

Rooms will be spacious and departments like imaging, surgery, physical therapy and a clinic will have room to flourish with new technology and even room for expansion, according to hospital officials.

There will also be more surgical suites and improved emergency room accessibility.

The hospital will be paid for primarily through revenues generated by the hospital and a 40 percent contribution through Medicare. An annual tax levy also helps fund the day-to-day operations of the hospital but will not be increased to fund the construction of the new hospital.

-----

To see more of the Fergus Falls Daily Journal or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, Fergus Falls Daily Journal, Minn.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.