On February 5, 2008, Stone County Medical Center (SCMC) in Mountain View sustained significant damage due to an F4 tornado. The response by our employees and residents of Stone County to the tragedy were remarkable. We are grateful for the compassion of each volunteer and all the emergency crews who worked tirelessly to support SCMC.
While the storm damaged 60% of the hospital structure, no one was injured due to emergency procedures implemented by employees, physicians and volunteers. The Emergency Department quickly relocated to the surgery department to care for patients after the storm. Patients who were in the hospital at the time the storm hit were evacuated to Stone County Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and, where appropriate, to their home. Medical personnel remained on site treating patients while crews worked to restore utilities.
Just 24 days after the tornado, inpatient services at the hospital resumed with approval from the Arkansas Department of Health. Modular buildings were put in place to provide space needed for the Emergency Department, Laboratory, x-ray, Respiratory Therapy, Pharmacy and other ancillary services.
The first step in rebuilding began immediately following the storm when site inspectors and structural engineers from FEMA and the hospital’s insurance carrier evaluated the damage, cleared debris, and demolished parts of the hospital that were structurally unsound. SCMC employees displaced by the storm were assigned work at other White River Health System facilities. No jobs were lost.
In the months that followed, the SCMC Building Committee worked with Cromwell Architects Engineers on the design and architectural plans and cost estimates to rebuild the hospital. The committee includes Charles Varela, M.D., Chairman, Charles Ramsey, Leo Sutterfield, Jr., Kenneth Sutton, Stan Townsend, Karen Craft, SCMC COO, Renie Taylor, and Tony Thompson, Associate Administrator for WRHS Facilities. Physicians, Employees, and SCMC Department Directors have taken an active role in planning the new facility. The design maximizes patient safety, privacy, and creates operational efficiencies that were difficult to accomplish in the original building built in the 1960’s. The WRHS Board of Directors approved moving forward with rebuilding and final plans will be submitted to the Arkansas Department of Health for approval.
The new construction will be added to the building currently in use and is designed to accommodate a growing medical community focused on meeting the healthcare needs of Stone County and the surrounding area today and well into the future.