In excess of 1,200 people joined St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital as they proudly unveiled its newly constructed Southeast Building with a Mass of Celebration, blessing ceremony and open house on February 14.  Mass was concelebrated in the Chapel at 9:30 a.m. for hospital family by Father Ralph Zetzl, O.F.M., Hospital Chaplain, Reverend Monsignor Leo Enlow, St. Anthony Parish, and Father Sylvano Pera, O.F.M.  Welcoming remarks were made by Dan Woods, St. Anthony’s President and CEO.  The blessing ceremony of the new building was conducted after Mass in the Southeast Building.  Fr. Ralph Zetzl and Reverend Monsignor Leo Enlow officiated the blessing ceremony, with participation by staff members of Cardiovascular Services and Surgical Services.

St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital blesses the new cardiac catheterization laboratory, the first in the region, during the dedication and open house of their new Southeast Building on February 14.  Joining in the blessing is (from left to right), Reverend Monsignor Leo Enlow, St. Anthony Parish; Father Ralph Zetzl, O.F.M., Hospital Chaplain; Ashley Franklin, St. Anthony's Cath Lab Technician; Dan Woods, President and CEO of St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital; and Father Sylvano Pera, O.F.M.  Over 1200 people took the opportunity to view the new 45,000 square-foot facility and take part in a free heart fair offered during the festivities.

In the afternoon, residents of Effingham and surrounding communities came to St. Anthony’s Open House from 2 to 6 p.m. to get a look at the Southeast Building (called as such since it is located on the southeast side of the hospital) and take part in a free Heart Fair, which provided heart healthy information and health screenings.  Guests enjoyed tours of the new 45,000 square-foot facility, which offers Heart Care Services, Pain Management Services, Sleep Studies, and Surgical Services enhancements to the region.  The tour included some of the following healthcare improvements brought to the region:

• Cardiac Catheterization Lab: This new lab provides space for the hospital’s diagnostic cardiac cath service, the region’s first cardiac cath lab.  With the new diagnostic cath lab, patients do not have to travel two hours for a cardiac cath.  Cardiac caths will be performed by Amir Cheema, M.D. and other Doctors of Prairie Cardiovascular.
• Cardiovascular Exam/Consultation Rooms: This provides clinic space for Prairie Cardiovascular cardiologists to see patients with cardiovascular problems and located conveniently near the ancillary cardiac services.
• Cardiac Diagnostic Testing: Other cardiac studies performed at St. Anthony’s for many years by skilled staff will be moved into the new area, including echocardiograms, EKGs, and stress testing.
• Sleep Lab:  Patients being tested for a sleep disorder are monitored at all times in a private, comfortable surrounding with the latest in high-tech equipment.  St. Anthony’s has offered sleep studies to the region since 1997.  The new building offers two rooms specially designed for sleep studies.
• Endoscopy Suites: An endoscopy is done to look inside the body using an instrument called an endoscope.  These dedicated suites are for both upper and lower gastrointestinal outpatient scope procedures, such as a colonoscopy. 
• Pain Management Procedure Rooms: Patients will be evaluated and treated for pain-related issues in an area specially designed for these procedures.
• Private Surgical Prep/Hold Rooms: These rooms will provide a quiet place for a patient and his/her family to wait prior to and following their surgery or cardiac cath.

Many of these improvements to Heart Care, Pain Management, Sleep Studies, and Surgical Services were made possible through generous donations received through the Friends of St. Anthony’s 2006 Annual Appeal.  Starting with a lead gift of $30,000 from the St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, the Friends raised $125,000 for the new $8.5 million Southeast Building project from hospital employees, Medical Staff members, volunteers, and community members. 

Dan Woods, St. Anthony’s President and CEO, shared what the addition of the Southeast Building means to the residents of Effingham and the surrounding region.  “The Southeast Building brings the talent of St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital and its many physicians and advanced technology together to reach such great heights, so that each patient, each family, has an exceptional experience of care.  While not so many years ago, people from this area had to travel several hours for the type of excellent care that is now available at St. Anthony’s with the same compassionate care that St. Anthony’s has provided for over 132 years,” he said.  “This facility and the talent of the hospital employees and physicians, brings us to new heights in healthcare to meet the needs of the region through a Cardiac Center of Excellence, as well as ambulatory surgery, diagnosing and treating colon cancer, sleep disorders, and helping people manage what was once unbearable pain.  The Mass and Dedication today is an important aspect of what we do everyday in asking that God’s healing love works through us in the care of each person that comes through our doors,” Woods shared.

Jim Zito, CEO of Prairie Heart Institute of Illinois, expressed his excitement at the healthcare possibilities this new building affords to St. Anthony’s and Prairie patients.  “On behalf of the doctors and staff of Prairie Cardiovascular, we look forward to the advanced heart care we will be able to provide together to all those who come here for care,” he said.  “Having the latest in technology along with the experience, expertise, and compassionate care of our combined staff benefits those in Effingham and the entire region.”  Prairie Cardiovascular will soon be moving their offices from their current location in the Effingham Medical Center into the new Southeast Building.

St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital has applied with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) for approval to occupy the new addition.  Once approval is received from IDPH (anticipated to take between four to six weeks), Heart Care Services, Pain Management Services, Sleep Studies and certain Surgical Services will be relocated from their current locations within St. Anthony’s to the new Southeast Building.  At that point, St. Anthony’s and Prairie Cardiovascular will begin conducting cardiac caths in the new lab.

St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital is an affiliate of the Hospital Sisters Health System.  For more information about Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants, visit their web site at www.prairiecardiovascular.com .