By Carl Sampson
The other night my wife and I went to the hospital — on a dinner date.
Sharon Frichtl, a friend and advertising guru at Our Town, had won a drawing during a fundraiser for the Stayton Public Library. The prize was dinner for her and a batch of her friends and business associates. My wife and I were lucky enough to have been among those invited.
The unusual thing about the dinner is it was served on the roof of the new addition to the Santiam Memorial Hospital.
So there we were, enjoying a catered dinner under a tent four stories above the ground, listening to classical music played by a trio of musicians from Portland and taking in the views offered by the sprawling Willamette Valley. The hospital is atop one of the highest points in the area, so the views were extraordinary. I’ve been to some mighty fine dinners but this one is at the top of the list.
Beyond the good company, food and music, though, was the thought that two keystones of the community were involved: the library and the hospital.
Try, for a minute, to imagine Stayton without either. The library takes care of our cultural and educational wellbeing and the hospital takes care of our physical wellbeing.
And both exist through the generosity of many people who have donated their time and money to build them into institutions that the community can point to with great pride. Generous local families, foundations and individuals and businesses are the reason those institutions exist today.
Local historians know the library began in the building on 260 N. Second Ave. that now houses the Santiam Historical Museum. The hospital began in what is now known as the Charles Brown House, at 425 N. First Ave. From those humble beginnings, we now have a library and hospital that are second to none.
Part of the evening was a tour of the new, 50,000-square-foot hospital wing.
And, oh, my.
I don’t know much about 21st Century medicine, but I do know every modern innovation has been included in the design of this facility. New surgical suites, a new birthing center, private rooms — new everything — is included in the expansion. We even inspected the basement, with its state-of-the-art facilities.
Terry Fletchall, Santiam Memorial CEO, gave us a walk-through of the addition, which doubles the size of the hospital. He pointed out all of the new equipment, conveniences and the latest in medical advances that have been included in the design. He pointed out the expansion means more and better medical care for patients. The plan is to eventually replace or remodel into offices the existing hospital building, which is as old as I am.
During the tour, I started thinking differently about the hospital. During the 13 years we’ve lived here, my mother-in-law, father-in-law, my wife, our four sons and I have all benefited from the hospital, its facilities and doctors. And when the addition opens this fall, it’ll offer even better care for those of us who call this area home.
