Wonder what the big blue crane has been doing at Mercy Health Center? As Phase One of Mercy Health Center’s expansion wraps up, the public is invited to attend an Open House on Saturday, February 2nd from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 (noon). Staff will be available to answer questions and provide guided tours of the expanded Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Emergency Department (ED). All guests will be eligible to win gifts such as Longaberger "baskets of mercy," fitness center passes and more. Be sure to bring the kids along to receive a free coloring book and stickers.

"While the existing structure has served our community well over the last 40-years, the expansion updates our Emergency Department by improving the admissions and reception area and creating a more comfortable patient waiting area," stated Larry Couchman, Riley County Emergency Medical

Services director, "State-of-the-art triage areas were added, aiding to the efficiency of treatment rooms for our patients. The patient is our number one concern at Mercy Health Center."

In addition to an expanded emergency room, the project will add three new low acuity patient rooms, a new pediatric room, a sub-acute patient room, state-of-the-art nurses stations, intensive care unit rooms and much more to meet the region’s growing medical needs.

"Health care is a dynamic field with new technologies and treatments available to improve the quality of life at every age. The additional Intensive Care Unit rooms at Mercy reinforce the community’s continued commitment to providing top of the line medical care to all of our citizens," stated Doug Hinkin, M.D., Facilities Planning Committee Chairman.

"We are rising to the challenge of providing the best quality care solutions available in our region. Mercy Health Center is on its way to becoming one of the finest medical facility in the region," stated Richard Allen, president and CEO, Mercy Health Center. "Providing area citizens with quality medical care and comfortable surroundings for healing."