Ministry St. Michael’s Hospital and Ministry Medical Group, now part of Ascension, celebrated the completion of construction on the facilities new Outpatient Services Department Wednesday, Nov. 16, with a blessing and dedication event.

The project is phase two of a revitalization project of the Stevens Point hospital campus that totals nearly 40,000 square feet of renovated space and new construction to provide additional amenities that enhance the privacy and healing environments for patients and their families.

“Our associates and clinicians will have an improved environment to support the excellent care provided to our patients,” said Crystal Kirschling, chief administrative officer and vice president of patient care services at Ministry St. Michael’s Hospital.

The improved Outpatient Services Department includes 21 state-of-the-art private treatment and recovery rooms, a new radiology exam room that is located adjacent to the Urgent Care and Emergency Department for improved efficiency, and new and improved nurse’s stations with updated nurse call and patient monitoring systems.

“This new space will provide a warm and healing environment for testing and procedures such as colonoscopies and biopsies as well as treatment for those with painful diseases by performing orthopedic surgeries and spinal injections,” said Dr. Ryan Andrews, vice president of medical affairs at St. Michael’s.

St. Michael’s formally marked the event by placing a time capsule near the new entrance to the facility. Its contents included special messages from Ascension Wisconsin leaders on the current state of healthcare, examples of technology in use today and details on the current capital campaign underway by the Saint Michaels Foundation to build a breast care center.

The Outpatient Services Department will formally open for patient care Monday, Nov. 28. A new exterior corridor that will directly connect the new Emergency/Urgent Care/Outpatient Services Entrance to other areas of the hospital is slated to open in January.

Additional work on phase three of the project which includes renovation and new construction of the hospitals sterilization and other key surgical areas continues. It expected to be completed by the end of 2017.