Rick Welniak
Ord farmer and rancher Rick Welniak never thought it would happen to him. Then one day, a cow attacked him in a corral in the barn. When he finally got away, he was bloodied and bruised. “I didn’t know if I was going to live or not.” Rick’s wife immediately rushed him to the ER at Valley County Health System. A helicopter and ambulance were put on standby while staff at VCHS completed some examinations including a CT scan for serious head trauma. “They knew within minutes what was wrong.” Rick said the experience made him realize the importance of having quality emergency care close to home as well as the need for state-of-the-art equipment. “If new equipment can save one person’s life, it’s well worth it,” he said. “You never think you’re going to need emergency care — until it happens to you or your family or friends. Having a hospital in Ord is vital to our wellbeing.”
Construction Zone
New Facility Update: Week of July 12
During the weeks of July 5th and 12th, noticeable progress was made on the new hospital. Wall and floor covering installation continued in the medical clinic, specialty clinic and emergency department. Ceiling grid continued to be installed and electrical and plumbing contractors remained busy with lighting and hook-ups. The security contractor was on-site cabling the doors throughout the building.