SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – We have an update on a northeast Nebraska hospital damaged by an explosion earlier this month.

Avera St. Hospital Anthony, of O’Neill, says his emergency department is back open and accepting inpatients for treatment.

This comes three weeks after an explosion at St. Patrick’s next door. This forced the hospital to close due to the damage.

“When we first surveyed the damage in the days following the explosion that occurred on the property of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, we thought it would be months before we could restore many of our services,” said John Kozyra, President and CEO of Avera St. Anthony Hospital. “But we had many arguments as we assessed the building and its support systems. That, along with the teams of employees, suppliers, contractors and others who did a tremendous job of troubleshooting the challenges and finding solutions, is why we are able to restore these services just three weeks after that tragic day.

While the emergency room is open again, operating from repurposed space elsewhere in the hospital, patients will have to use an alternate entrance to access it as repairs are made.

Until further notice, patients and visitors will be required to use the hospital’s north side entrance along Adams Street for the emergency department.

“I also want to make it clear that we have placed safety at the top of our priority list,” Kozyra added. “While these are temporary arrangements in some cases, we have made every effort to ensure that we provide the same high quality care that our community has come to expect from the hospital.”

With these services returning, only surgical, labor and delivery, dialysis and MRI services are still unavailable.

“We are very grateful to the community for their understanding and support as we went through the cleanup and repair process,” Kozyra said. “I’ve lived in O’Neill for less than a year, but this experience has reinforced why my family felt drawn to the community. People have come together to help and make sure the hospital and the parish have the support they need.”

A few more things to note:

• Until the hospital announces that labor and delivery services have returned, only true emergency deliveries can be made at Avera St. Anthony Hospital.
• The canteen at the hospital reopened to the public.

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