Company Wrench Volunteers at FMC Ground Breaking Ceremony

September 30th, 2013

Company Wrench volunteers to help Fairfield Medical Center conduct their groundbreaking ceremony using one of their Gehl skid seers. During the groundbreaking ceremony, more than 300 business leaders, neighbors and elected officials celebrated the beginning of construction for Fairfield Medical Center’s $37.8 million facility expansion plan, Project BRIGHT.

“As I stand here today amongst my fellow co-workers and community partners, I am overwhelmed with pride,” said Mina Ubbing, president and CEO. “It took an extreme amount of effort on the part of a lot of individuals to get where we are today. We recognize that this expansion is needed to continue to provide high quality healthcare to our patients, allowing us to meet the needs of our community for many years to come.”

Ubbing said that this groundbreaking was possible because of the perseverance of FMC employees, physicians, volunteers, board members and community leaders.

Among the dignitaries and community leaders who participated in the event were: Carol Seubert Marx, chair of the FMC Board of Directors; Sky Gettys, FMC chief financial officer; Howard Sniderman, FMC chief operating officer; Steven Cox, M.D., FMC chief medical officer; Barb Nichols, Patient and Family Advisory Council; Louise Shumaker, FMC volunteer with 37 years of service; Becky DeVoss, 2013 FMC Employee of the Year; Douglas Pope, M.D., president of the FMC medical staff; Ricki Chenault, executive director of the FMC Foundation; Sherm Moreland, CEO of the DesignGroup; Jim Smith, president and CEO of Elford Construction; Dave Smith, mayor of the City of Lancaster; Mike Kiger, Fairfield County commissioner; and Travis Markwood, president of the Lancaster Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce.

“Construction will be completed before the FMC’s centennial in 2016,” Ubbing said. “It will have 11 operating rooms and 36 patient rooms with the goal of making every room in the hospital private.” The new surgery wing will allow FMC to have expanded operating rooms; 100 percent private patient rooms; advanced technology, such as robotic equipment; and improved family waiting areas.

Chief Operating Officer Howard Sniderman said, “$37.8 million is a small price to pay to provide better care to our patients, for the jobs and economic effect this expansion will have, as well as the investment in meeting our goal to provide family-centered care.”

Company Wrench was glad to provide equipment for the ground breaking ceremony, and being part of a big step forward in the expansion of the Fairfield Medical Center.