Lights come on at Pullman hospital
It took a few minutes, but the lights came on at the new Pullman Regional Hospital on Bishop Boulevard.
A dedication ceremony took place in front of the 95,000-square-foot, $28.5 million facility Friday, culminating with the lighting of the building by the hospital's board of commissioners. Or so it was planned, but when the board members plugged in the electrical cord to operate the lights, nothing happened.
Eventually, the lights came on one by one.
A crowd of about 500 people braved the cold weather to attend the ceremony and were rewarded with cups of hot cider and free commemorative compact discs of holiday music.
Before the lighting ceremony, attendees were entertained by the Jefferson Elementary School Jaguar Jazz Choir performing holiday songs.
Following the performance, the crowd was guided into a heated tent in the hospital parking lot for speeches by Pullman City Councilwoman Sue Hinz, Washington State University President V. Lane Rawlins and hospital administrator Scott Adams.
Hinz spoke in place of Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson, who was called out of town on family business.
She expressed pride in the hospital and in the Pullman community for voting in favor of its construction.
"It is a facility our region needs and we're thrilled to have it in Pullman," Hinz said.
Rawlins opened his speech with one of Johnson's trademark phrases.
"On behalf of Glenn Johnson, I'd like to say this is another Pullman first down," he said.
Rawlins went on to speak about the benefits the hospital will provide for WSU and the community.
"This hospital will help us in treating our faculty, students and athletes and help us recruit world class people to live and work in Pullman," he said.
Adams spoke about light as a symbol for progress and exploration.
"Tonight, we introduce a new light to our community," Adams said. "Pullman Regional Hospital stands poised to raise the level of quality health care in our community."
The lighting ceremony was followed by the unveiling of a plaque by board President Hal Kerr.
Kerr spoke of his pride in the new building, calling it a "sparkling new hospital" and a "magnificent structure."
He also offered praise for the Pullman community.
"We are a personification of community in the best sense of the word," he said.
The public will be able to tour the new hospital this weekend during open houses scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
The hospital will officially open its doors to patients the morning of Dec. 16. The old Pullman Memorial Hospital on the WSU campus will continue to operate for part of the day while patients are moved to the new facility.
The emergency department at PMH will remain open in the morning and EMS providers will be notified when it closes so they can begin to transport patients to the emergency department in the new facility.
Elective surgery hours will be reduced at PMH and expanded at Pullman Regional so patients can have the benefit of the new hospital's technologically advanced operating rooms.
Michelle Dupler can be reached at (509) 334-6397, or by e-mail at .
