Monument Health Custer Hospital

Replacement Critical Access Hospital and Clinic

The main lobby of the Custer Hospital is encircled by white pine columns to emulate the Black Hills environment
People check in in the expansive, white pine lobby of the Custer Hospital
The Custer Health emergency department's nurse station
The central nurse station of the Custer Hospital
At Custer Hospital, some patient rooms have large spaces for families to accompany and visit the patient
A patient room in the Custer Critical Access Hospital
A patient waiting area has a coffee station and options for seating to accommodate various size groups of visitors
Wayfinding elements in the Custer Hospital that lead to exam rooms
The exterior entry of the Custer Hospital at night time

Monument Health Custer Hospital

Replacement Critical Access Hospital and Clinic

Custer, S.D.

Monument Health Custer Hospital’s existing healthcare services were growing, but aging mechanical systems and limited site opportunities prohibited facility expansion. To better address the needs reflected in Custer’s community health assessment, BWBR master planned and designed a replacement facility on a new site that allows Custer Hospital to increase usable square footage, create a safer patient experience, and attract more specialty care providers.

The design organically grows the new facility directly from the Black Hills’ pines, surrounding users with tree-trunk-like columns, copious daylight, and calming natural colors and textures. An iconic steepled entry ushers patients into a peaceful place of healing, much akin to walking under a canopy of trees. Functional yet soothing, materials were selected for their connection to Custer and Monument Health’s values in addition to their cleanability and durability.

Lean planning was used in the entire facility’s design. A centrally located nurse station oversees the emergency department, multi-functional procedure area, and inpatient rooms. The central location is key to reducing staff steps while effectively managing patient care during minimally staffed hours.

Size: 46,000 sq. ft.

Components: 11 inpatient beds; clinic with 18 exam rooms; hospice suite; outpatient physical therapy; emergency department with two treatment rooms, three walk-in exam rooms, and two large trauma bays; centralized lab; endoscopy suite; imaging suite with CT, X-ray, mammography, ultrasound, DEXA scan, and mobile MRI; three outpatient infusion rooms; administration; helipad; healing garden with walking paths

Completion: 2018