KEOSAUQUA, IOWA -- Over a year ago, a crowd gathered at Van Buren County Hospital in Keosauqua to break ground on a new state of the art community services building. At that time, the only item that sat on the property next to the hospital where the facility was to be constructed was a bulldozer; fast-forward to today and you will see a $2 million facility geared towards helping those in the community.
On Thursday afternoon, KTVO had a chance to tour the new facility while construction workers were putting the final touches on the new center.
The facility will be home to several organizations that are currently housed at Van Buren County Hospital or in other buildings throughout the community. Those programs include Occupational Health, Childcare and Pre-school, Parents as Teachers, Job Opportunities and Healthy Villages.
Leaders with Van Buren County Hospital, like Assistant Administrator Doug DeHart says that a facility like the one being completed was needed for the community.
“Well I think it is critical on our part that we provide child care for our difference agencies, especially Van Buren County Hospital, for our employees. Also, we have other entities in the county that we share child care with. We also provide job opportunities, parents as teachers and W.I.C.,” DeHart said.
The center was financed through a grant, many foundations and loans.
When the facility is dedicated on August 5th, more space will be available in Van Buren County Hospital, which will allow for certain programs to be expanded.
“We are currently partnering with the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics with EPIC, electronic medical records, so it will take some of the space. We will also open one of the areas for in-house training and move another room into a conference room. So we will have access to that room without having to go into the weather to cross the street,” DeHart said.
The dedication is August 5th from 1 - 3 p.m.
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