take a look at hospital

Vicksburg residents, from left, Bonnie Stokes, Margie Furr and Estelle Marshall sit near the atrium fountain at River Region Medical Center during the public open house at the facility Sunday. Stokes called the new facility an “answered prayer.”(The Vicksburg Post/C. TODD SHERMAN)

[02/10/02]Up to 5,000 people Sunday got a first look inside at the hospital complex they’ve watched being built for nearly two years.

“It’s big enough to get lost in,” said Percy Worley who, with his family, was among the first through the doors of River Region Medical Center for a guided tour of the largest single hospital construction project ever undertaken in Mississippi.

People lined up for the 2 to 5 p.m. open house and a chance to peer in operating rooms and diagnostic suites, intensive care rooms and Level III trauma facilities that, starting in six days, will be in use.

Worley and his wife, Barbara, toured with their daughter, Deborah Tarnabine, her husband, Larry, and their 11-year-old grandson, Blake.

“It’ll be different than what we’re used to,” said Larry Tarnabine, who lives in Vicksburg and works at Waterways Experiment Station.

River Region, off U.S. 61 North at Culkin, will replace all acute care beds at ParkView Regional Medical Center and the former Vicksburg Medical Center. It cost $123 million to build and is owned by River Region Health System, a subsidiary of Dallas-based Triad Inc., which provides most health-care services in Vicksburg.

The tour began with an elevator ride to the second floor, where hospital employees and volunteers greeted and guided guests through ambulatory surgery, intensive care, cardiology and operating rooms where Vicksburg’s first open heart procedures may take place.

“Those are big rooms for surgery, aren’t they?” said Barbara Worley.

“I hope I don’t have a need for it, but it looks nice,” Worley said.

Diane Gawronski, director of marketing and public relations for River Region Medical Center, said 75 employees and volunteers aided in the tour.

Employees exhibited and answered questions about the hospital’s new medical equipment, which includes a new CT scanner, new MRI technology and new monitoring equipment in the emergency room.

“Whether or not they can operate it, at least they’ve got new equipment,” Deborah Tarnabine said.

After touring the second floor, people were taken by elevator to the third floor, which houses birthing suites, the nursery and postpartum rooms.

“It’s supposed to be just like home,” Percy Worley said, looking at a postpartum room.

“Impressive,” Larry Tarnabine said.

Barbara Worley said that she and her husband have lived in Bovina since 1955 and usually go to Jackson for health services. “It seems like they have everything you would need here,” she said, but added that she was unsure if the new hospital would keep her in Vicksburg for health care.

From the third floor, the tour went down to the first, which holds the emergency room. The emergency rooms have all new monitoring equipment and new beds.

“This is my kind of bed here,” Percy Worley said.

In announcing the consolidation that is leading to one hospital for Vicksburg, administrators said it was a necessary step to compete with newer and larger facilities an hour away in the state capital.

Larry Tarnabine said the new facility was a step in the right direction for Vicksburg, but added he would have to wait before using River Region over Jackson hospitals.

“I don’t know that yet,” he said. “We still have to see what kind of doctors we’ll have.”

Still, the family agreed that the hospital was a big improvement over ParkView Regional Medical center and Vicksburg Medical Center.

Deborah Tarnabine was impressed with the intensive care waiting room, which features recliners. ”

These are nice compared to that other one at Vicksburg Medical Center, that one was real small,” she said.

After the tour, visitors mingled in the lobby. “It reminds you of the mall,” said Blake Tarnabine.

People ate food, drank punch and listened to live music some on the second floor were dancing. Marnita Miller, Sweet Harmony and The Ben Shaw Band provided the music.

Larry Tarnabine saw several people he knew in the lobby.

“I didn’t expect this many people,” he said. “People are excited.”

During the week, the transfer of records and equipment and some personnel to the new facility will continue. Sunday will be moving day for patients.