Health Compass Newsletter
Back to Fall 2023
Expanding into needed space
By Erik Thorsen, CEO
Columbia Memorial Hospital opened its doors at the present-day location in 1977. In that same year, Elvis Presley died, Star Wars (later called Episode IV – A New Hope) opened in theaters, the first Apple II computers were sold and the Concorde supersonic jet flew its first commercial flight.
At the time, the hospital employed less than 100 caregivers and offered a handful of services, such as labor and delivery, an inpatient unit and laboratory testing. Over the last 46 years, the facility has undergone several renovations and additions, stretching, growing and using every available nook and cranny to provide needed, advanced health care services here in Astoria.
CMH now employs more than 800 caregivers. Despite the tremendous expansion of both our services and team, the footprint of our hospital building has remained largely the same since its opening.
When asked why we are embarking on the BuildCMH Expansion Project, an ambitious development that may be one of the largest construction projects in Clatsop County history, it is not hard to explain. We are simply out of room.
Room sizes that worked for patients and providers nearly 50 years ago no longer work today. Patients value privacy and dignity (and they should), yet the hospital was not built with those in mind. The infrastructure needed to support certain large equipment is not available, and updating what we have is not feasible within federal and state regulations.
Our hospital, though it has cared for many and saved countless lives, has nearly reached the end of its own sustainable life. As we prepare to build a state-of-the-art expansion, one thing I think we're all excited about is the space it will provide.
Continue reading this edition of the Health Compass to learn more about how our new facility will help us grow and serve future generations in our area.
Categories: From our CEO