Lake Regional Hospital Currently Undergoing Renovations

By Rachel Leber

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. — Lake Regional Health System is in the midst of major renovations on Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach. This project will include renovation of both the inpatient and outpatient areas of the hospital as well as the addition of a new birth center. Construction began on Aug. 21., with renovations expected to be complete in spring of 2018.

The architect and interior designer on the project is HMN Architects of Overland Park, Kan., with Murray Company serving as the construction manager out of out of both its Overland Park, Kan., and St. Louis offices. The overall budget for the project is $11 million, including construction, equipment and all furnishings.

From a patient standpoint, the main goal of the renovation project is to provide a more “modern and efficient experience for all visitors,” according to Kevin McRoberts, senior vice president of operations at Lake Regional Health System. “We are committed to providing exceptional customer experiences and understand that people feel more confident in their care when their surroundings are up-to-date and comfortable. With the planned renovations, we are building a better Lake Regional for our community.”

Another long-term goal of the project is to provide a single unified design aesthetic that is highly visible in all of Lake Regional’s units and facilities. The renovations will transform the main hospital lobby floor from dark slate tiles to a smooth, poured 100 percent real terrazzo stone floor, with three different colors flowing in a curving pattern from the front entrance back to the new registration.

The design acts both as a wayfinding method to direct people to the rest of the hospital and as a reflection of the gentle “wave” aesthetic of Lake Regional’s branding, according to Byron Kurogi of HMN Architects.

The new registration area will be moved from a separate building off the main lobby into the lobby itself with a curved reception desk element and ceiling, plus individual rooms that serve as registration bays, designed to serve patients with more privacy. The new Birth Center and Pediatric Unit of Lake Regional will occupy a previously unused “shell space” on the third floor of the East Patient Tower. The Birth Center will consist of 10 labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum (LDRP) rooms, a nursery, a C-Section operating room and supporting nursing spaces.

“These renovations have been designed to set a new standard for all future projects in terms of design quality, both inside the hospital itself and extending to Lake Regional Health System’s outreach clinics and facilities,” said Kurogi.