WCHC unveils new main entrance

WASHINGTON — Chamber ambassadors and hospital staff gathered at WCHC’s main campus June 10 week for a ribbon cutting, celebrating a major renovation to the building’s front entrance.

Now dubbed the Joe & Jane Evanovich entrance, the reception area for the hospital’s largest building and emergency department has been remodeled with a more open design, more room to process incoming patients, and improved security.

“When you walked in, before, it felt very condensed, very corridor-like, very small,” said John Woodward, WCHC’s Development Officer. “Believe it or not, it actually sets a tone. If you walk into a hospital and you see things that are incredibly dated or have a different design, this now has more of a welcoming feeling. And there’s more visibility to the staff, as well.”

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The renovations also include a more accessible location for the hospital’s financial counseling office, a more private window for emergency room checkouts, and a new nurses’ station in the ER.

The construction lasted from around October to April as contractors hit a number of “speed bumps,” according to Woodward. He said the renovations cost a total of around $750,000, almost entirely funded by the Evanovich family for which it is named.

“We put three or four projects in front of them, and there was a joke made by Jane that, ‘Well, Joe spent a lot of time at that ER,’” Woodward said. “(Joe) was somebody that has helped organization, helped individuals, a very kind and generous soul. That’s why we named it … we really want this to be a nod to how unbelievably generous the family has been.”

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