From the Ellinwood Hospital Foundation
Ellinwood Hospital & Clinic invites the community to attend their Topping-Off Ceremony and sign the final beam on Thursday, June 8 at 10 a.m., located at the project’s construction site on the NW corner of Park Ave and US-56 on the west edge of town. The ceremony will be in conjunction with an Ellinwood Chamber of Commerce Coffee with coffee, drinks, and rolls served inside the mobile office on-site, which is also handicap accessible.
A topping-off ceremony is an age-old tradition in which the last structural steel beam is placed on the project. It marks a major milestone for everyone on the project. CEO Kile Magner said, "It signifies the groundwork being laid and the structural portion of the building being finished. It also applauds the countless hours already poured into the building project and commemorates the hard work that each person has contributed to reach this milestone."
The ceremony will include an opportunity for community members to come out and sign the last beam, placing their lasting mark on it, before they watch it be hoisted into its final resting place. It will also include a small pine tree attached to the beam. Though there are many stories that date back centuries as to what exactly the evergreen symbolizes, everyone can agree that it represents positive things, good luck for future occupants, continued growth, and a safe job site.
"We want to invite anyone and everyone that can make it out, to come sign the beam on June 8," said Ellinwood Hospital Foundation Director Kristy Rupe. "There are many leaders, volunteers, donors, and supporters in our community(ies) who have given countless hours thus far to get to where we are today. This is a chance for them to leave their permanent mark with the Hospital & Clinic along with anyone else who would like to."
More about Ellinwood Hospital & Clinic
Ellinwood Hospital and Clinic is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital and Rural Health Clinic. With a 24/7 Emergency Room with 2 beds, the hospital provides inpatient acute care, skilled swing bed, and intermediate swing bed care and many outpatient services: endoscopy, physical and occupational therapy, a full-service medical laboratory, and a full range of imaging services – traditional x-ray, CT, mobile mammography, mobile US/sonography, mobile MRI.
The Ellinwood Clinic offers full family care, from newborn to geriatric care, provided by practitioners that truly care about you and your health. The Clinic offers endoscopy specialty services, as well.