At Lincoln South Rotary Club on May 6, we heard about the Madonna expansion from Suzanne Sughroue Associate Vice President of Development at The Madonna Foundation.
Hope. When a client comes to Madonna they hope that they will feel that there is hope for a future that will return them to their lives - work, school or to enjoy their grand kids.
Madonna is the largest rehabilitation hospital in Nebraska. The main facility is in Lincoln and there is a campus in Omaha. They employ 2,000 over the two campuses.
Their programs include Pediatrics, Stroke, Spinal Cord Injury, Brain Injury, Complex Medical and Cancer.
They have also created a program for long- or post-COVID patients. People diagnosed after being infected with COVID may have tiredness that gets worse after physical activities, fever, difficulty breathing, chest pain or cough. They may also have headaches, difficulty sleeping, dizziness or depression. May also have difficulty thinking or concentrating which they refer to as "brain fog".
In the year 2020-21 they admitted 2,342 from 19 different states. In the last five years they have served patients from 39 states and from 88 of the 93 Nebraska counties. In the past there have been man international patients and at some point they have served people from every county in Nebraska. Referrals have come from 851 different physicians representing 101 healthcare facilities.
We were able to view maps, renderings and actual photos of the renovation project. Most important was the need to improve the patient rooms. The current patient rooms were built in the 1970s. They now need about 100 additional square feet, improved bathrooms, walk-in showers, and additional outlets.
They are building a new patient "tower" with 59 large, private rooms. They will include their own bathroom and walk-in shower. Suzanne showed the layout of the new rooms - and how the bathroom was arranged. She said they learned a great deal from an architect on the Omaha campus project - Michael Graves who was in a wheelchair. .The sink, toilet, shower were arranged to best accommodate his uses. And, they adjusted the mirror so that individuals in wheelchairs can easily use them.
The rooms are also larger and have room for family members - to sit, hang their coats, use their devices, etc. Suzanne pointed out that rehab needs the entire family / support system involved. So, they need to spend time at Madonna to see what is done and how. The larger rooms will be comfortable for multiple family members.
The expansion will also provide a family recreation and meeting space, expanded outpatient treatment space, and main therapy gym remodel.
The new main entrance has gone through major renovation - two-stories of windows They entry includes heated sidewalks. The new main entrance is expansive and light-filled.
Suzanne talked about the outdoor spaces and how important those are to the therapy of the clients. There is a walking track and, with the expansion, they will have additional outdoor gardens. She said they incorporate a lot of sensory aspects - feel, scent. She mentioned that in children with traumatic brain injures it is important to work on one sense at a time. So, having the expanded gardens - each with different senses, is the most effective therapy. The gardens will all be accessible, there are numerous seating areas, and they are safe. They include lighting for night time use.
The expansion project was $57million, with $10 of that coming from philanthropy. Madonna had been putting reserves aside, investing for this expansion, and have been able to complete the project without any debt.
Suzanne stated they look forward to a time when they can have public meetings. They had planned to host an international convention but had to cancel due to COVID.. At this time, they are still limiting the number of visitors, and requiring masks.