A woman in white lab coat looking at her reflection.

LEED Certification

KCMH was the first LEED Platinum Certified Critical Access Hospital in the United States. The original Kiowa County Hospital was destroyed on May 4, 2007, in a massive tornado that destroyed or severely damaged 95% of Greensburg, Kansas. KCMH decided to build back to the highest level of LEED and "Go Green." In fact, the hospital's design team took one of the most energy-intensive building types and designed a first-of-its-kind energy-efficient hospital, while still meeting functional and safety requirements.

Recycled materials were used in 30% of the interior finishes, including tile and recycled rubber floors. Walking paths incorporated into the healing garden and patio microclimate promote the hospital's healing strategies.

Energy Efficient Features

Day lighting maximizes the use of natural light to offset electrical lighting loads in 75% of the interior.
High-performance low-E, double-glazed windows allow natural light to offset electrical lighting for a significant portion of the facility while providing insulation.
A well-insulated building envelope containing R-25 sprayed polyurethane foam insulation significantly reduces energy costs and allows more efficient heating and cooling technologies to be used throughout the facility.
Light colors used on the roof and parking lots reflect heat away from the building
A heat recovery system recycles exhaust air while providing fresh air to reduce energy consumption
Energy-efficient lights and lighting controls reduce the energy used for artificial lighting.
An energy-efficient air conditioner uses a magnetic bearing chiller that is more cost-effective and less noisy.
Energy-efficient office equipment reduces energy consumption used for administrative tasks.
The high-efficiency heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and heat recovery system takes advantage of the abundant renewable electricity from the Greensburg Wind Farm.

A man is getting a massage while being assisted by a woman.

A view of a hospital hallway with wooden floors.

The Tornado

On May 4, 2007, the hospital was destroyed by an EF5 tornado. On May 21, 2007, the hospital reopened in a temporary tent hospital (Emeds unit) brought in by the Air National Guard, Topeka, Kansas. The ER was opened first, and other departments were brought on board. On August 1, 2007, we opened Greensburg Family Practice in a modular building. By December 2007, the facility consisted of 4 tents and 6 modular. We offered onsite ER, acute inpatient, lab, X-ray, Daycare, administration, medical records, materials management, business office, and maintenance departments. Ground for the new building was on October 28, 2008. Health Facility Group, Wichita, Kansas was the architect and Murray Group was the contraction manager. Kiowa County Memorial Hospital in Greensburg, KS, opened its new 50,000-square-foot hospital and clinic to the public on March 12, 2010. A retail Pharmacy was added to the hospital site in January 2012.

History

Kiowa County Memorial Hospital was opened in March 1950. It was the first hospital in the county's history. In the 68 years KCMH has been serving the county, a lot has changed. The following documents give a firsthand look at those changes.

Tornado PowerPoint (PDF)

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Open House Booklet (PDF)