Two representatives of St. Elizabeth Hospital Boardman, in the middle of a $103 million expansion project, formally presented Boardman Township with what was termed “close to” $100,000 worth of communication equipment, when Trustees held their final, regularly-scheduled meeting of the year at the Government Center.
       The gift included 45 portable radios that Fire Chief George Brown said will give township emergency crews 100 per cent coverage of the hospital.
       Chief Brown said there had been a “communication issue” with the hospital.
       Chief Brown said he hopes the communication system with the ever-expanding Boardman campus will be up and running by Jan. 15, 2014.
       Attending the meeting were Genie Aubel, president of St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Center; and Wayne Tennis, vice-president of support services.
       “We are happy to step forward and offer support,” Aubel said, adding “The safety of our equipment and responder’s is important to us.”
       The current expansion of the St. Elizabeth Boardman campus include construction of a second ‘patient tower’ that will span some 165,00 square-ft. and include four additional operating rooms “to accommodate additional admissions,” 72 medical surgical/telemetry beds, six intensive care beds, 12 labor and delivery beds, 32 postpartum beds and a 24-bed neonatal intensive care unit.
       Phase I of the expansion is expected to be completed by early 2014, and includes completion of the operating rooms, and nursery and neonatal care services.
       Phase II of the project won’t be completed until Jan., 2017, according to the health center.
       “Floors four through seven will be established as a mix of medical surgical and telementry and will be opened in a phased approach,” the hospital said.