Sunshine blesses NVH celebration

Sunshine and the Rev. John Bent blessed North Valley Hospital's future location on Thursday.

Bent, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, sanctified the site at the intersection of U.S. 93 North and Montana 40 during the hospital's "Celebration of the Century."

"To bless means to set aside for a special purpose," Bent said.

Bent led the crowd in prayer after a welcome from North Valley Administrator Craig Aasved.

Reflecting the theme of the

festivities, Aasved reviewed medical achievements over the century, culminating in extending human life from 45 years to 75 by the turn of the millennium.

He said the hospital was dedicated to enhancing life along with restoring health to the ill. The new facility's spa-like setting reflects North Valley's Planetree philosophy of healing mind, body and spirit.

"Obviously, this is a great, great day," Aasved said from a lift with the new hospital's large excavation framing him.

He referred to more than the weather as he basked in the smiles of the staff and board and congratulations from the crowd attending the ceremony.

A ceremonial ground breaking following the blessing marked a triumph over community controversy about the site and last-minute bureaucratic bombshells that held up the hospital's financing.

Aasved joined the ground breaking with seven dignitaries including Whitefish and Columbia Falls mayors, hospital chief of staff Dr. Randy Beach and heads of the hospital and foundation boards.

They used eight golden shovels to break the ground as local media and hospital staff clicked cameras for a digital memory of the landmark moment. After the event, Beach noted the symbolism of his special, gold-plated shovel.

"I was always saying we've got to get the shovel in the ground," he said with a laugh.

According to Carol Blake, head of community relations, the hospital may not receive federal Housing and Urban Development loan approval until the beginning of August when a comment period expires. But she said the agency approved the ground breaking.

"So we're feeling good about it," she said.

Blake said the project has proceeded on the original schedule which called for completion in December 2006 or early 2007. Work begins next week on the entry road off U.S. 93 for the $30 million hospital.

Overlooking the foundation excavation, Blake pointed north as she explained the main hospital entry will face Big Mountain. The 82,500-square-foot, one-level facility replaces North Valley's three-decades-old facility.

The Thursday celebration included a tent with color renderings of the hospital plans. Another tent featured a series of photographs, antique medical instruments and manuals as well as an early nursing uniform.

Members of North Valley Hospital's auxiliary safeguarded the historic treasure trove which included a photo of a rutted road that was the intersection of U.S. 93 and Montana 40 in 1905.

A news clipping described Whitefish in 1905 as including a jail, one tailor, one lawyer, five hotels, one hospital, four doctors, two bakeries, two churches, one shoe shop, two tin shops, one newspaper and one stage line.

Auxiliary member Glenna McEvoy pointed to a 1943 hospital invoice that had drawn considerable comment on the evolution of health care costs.

The invoice listed a hospital room charge for almost three days for $15.40, an X-ray for $8 and drugs and intravenous solutions for $14.70.

Other photos showed staff members more than 20 years ago.

Nurse LuAnn Basirico, the Planetree program director, smiled at a photo of herself with new mother Diane Helgath and her infant daughter Elizabeth taken in 1979.

"That baby's 26 years old now," she said with a laugh.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.