BUTLER - "The building is now 90% complete, and the contractors are telling me there will be significant changes inside the facility within the next two weeks," Butler Mayor Ben Smith told the Sun-Advocate last week.

Photo courtesy of The Choctaw Sun-Advocate

During an in-depth tour of what will soon be unveiled as the new Choctaw General Hospital, Smith gave an up-close look at the progress of the project. A sneak-peek at the interior of the facility provides a tangible view of what has, until now, been only a much-discussed vision of Rush Health Systems, new administrator Jimmy Cowan, and Butler Mayor Ben Smith -- and a long-awaited promise for the county.

From patients' rooms to the Emergency Room to office areas to the state-of-the-art lab, MRI, and x-ray departments, the structure, character, and layout of the facility is now visible in a building that had been only a shell just a few months ago.

Kitchen appliances are being placed in what will not only be a facility to produce meals for patients but also a place where local residents can enjoy a quality meal in a spacious, inviting dining hall.

A view of the Emergency Room area shows a well-planned, well-organized suite of rooms, nursing station,

Photo courtesy of The Choctaw Sun-Advocate

and waiting areas, with close proximity to lab and x-ray departments.

Spacious patient rooms boast large windows overlooking what is already becoming a well-landscaped property, and bathroom facilities now bear fashionable tile and fixtures.

In view of future need, the facility also contains a large area designated for expansion.

The exterior of the building is now being landscaped, with more work to be done following completion of the construction.

Photo courtesy of The Choctaw Sun-Advocate

"Driving past here at night, with the lights shining on it, this place looks like a palace," Smith said. "I can't wait to see it when all of the work is completed and the landscaping is done. It will be the nicest hospital we could have ever imagined."

The $20-million, 25-bed Rush Health Systems project remains on track to open in early February.

Campbell, Dee Ann. "Mayor gives in-depth tour of new hospital facility." The Choctaw Sun-Advocate (Butler) 7 December 2011, 4A.