Congratulations, Canton!

From PJStar.com:

$6 million investment by Graham Hospital in the health of the Canton community will open next week.

The project was a large but rewarding undertaking for hospital officials, Graham Hospital President and CEO Ray Slaubaugh said.

"I've been here over 35 years and I think this is one of the greatest steps in improving care for the community that we have ever taken," he said.

Scheduled to open Jan. 11, the new emergency department is larger, offers more comfort and privacy for patients and families and gives hospital staff more room to treat patients.

The new emergency department was needed to accommodate the hospital's steadily rising stream of patients, Slaubaugh said.

"Over the last five years you can gradually see the numbers go up each year," he said.

Sara Kimble, Vice President of Patient Services for the hospital, said the numbers have almost doubled in that time. Emergency room staff used to see around 7,000 patients each year and now see closer to 13,000, she said.