Hospital To Open Services In Phased Approach

BLAST DAMAGE - The Dialysis room was damaged in the Monday,Oct. 7 explosion at the St. Patrick's Parish Center.

In the aftermath of the Oct. 7 explosion at the Parish Center adjacent to the Avera St. Anthony's Hospital campus, work continues to restore services as quickly as possible.

On Thursday, Oct. 10, Avera Medical Group O'Neill, Physical/Occupational Therapy and the Sleep Lab were able to welcome back patients. These services operate in areas that were not heavily impacted by the incident. The hospital hopes to share more good news this week.

“When we first surveyed the damage, it was believed that it could be months before services were restored,” said John Kozyra, President and CEO of Avera St. Anthony's Hospital. “However, we have encountered many silver linings in the last week that collectively could allow us to re-open everything in a matter of weeks. 

“Part of what has made the recovery go so well is the support we have received from so many people,” he continued. “First responders, law enforcement, community members, partner organizations, the Avera Health system – and especially our local staff and providers – have all pulled together to help us get through the emergency situation, assess the damage and secure the resources we need. That work – and there is a lot of it ahead – will continue. As we re-open our services in a phased approach, there will be short-term adjustments needed to our operations to make that possible. However, we are committed to being able to serve our patients as quickly as possible while also ensuring we are doing so in a way that does not compromise our commitment to high-quality care.”

The Outpatient Specialty Clinic, as well as labor and delivery services, are the next two areas about which the hospital hopes to have more news to share soon.

State Sen. Barry DeKay surveyed the damage last week and has been an important advocate for state assistance. The North Central District Health Department and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services have also been proactive in helping.

Even though operations have been disrupted, the Avera Health system has made a commitment to support its employees through this crisis and to get them back to their roles supporting the health care ministry as soon as possible.

“Our employees have shown such resilience and pulled together to make the best of the situation,” Kozyra said. “They are our most valuable resource, and their wellbeing is a priority for us during this difficult time. We are providing them with assurance so they can focus on helping us restore services and not on whether they will be able to support their families.

“Our hearts go out to the Saint Patrick's Catholic Church and everyone else in the community who was impacted by this event,” he added. “We plan to collaborate with the parish to address the emotional and spiritual needs of O'Neill in the coming weeks and months. This is a time to continue to pull together and make sure O'Neill is a stronger community as it emerges from this tragedy.”

Some things for the public to keep in mind:

• Avera St. Anthony's Hospital will continue to post updates on the recovery process through its Facebook page, as well as sharing them with our local media partners.

• The Public Transportation Service is available as usual and can be reached at 402-336-5134.

• The cafeteria at the hospital will remain closed to the public until further notice.

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