More than 1,500 local residents toured the newly reopened Cascade Valley Hospital on Sunday, January 24, as the Arlington hospital celebrated its open house in conjunction with a milestone 100th birthday.

The doors to the state-of-the-art facility, located at 330 S. Stillaguamish Ave., were open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m. as the hospital staff offered tours, refreshments and information about the many pieces of public art throughout the building. Speaking of doors, the hospital boasts the only revolving door in Snohomish County.

Hospital district citizens approved a $45 million bond in 2007 to replace the aging existing buildings. The new hospital not only improves on the structure itself, but offers cutting edge technology and design to better serve local patients.

A 16-bed emergency department features private rooms encircling the staff station. Eight more beds are available in the Clinical Decision Unit, designed for more extensive outpatient care, that can be put to use in response to a widescale emergency situation.

The imaging department is all-digital, with digital mammography, fluoroscopy, X-ray and ultrasound requiring no film or processing equipment. All images can be archived and accessed by physicians for better patient care, and older films will be digitized over the next few years to complete the hospital's records.

The four-story building also features public meeting rooms, a family birthing center, surgery center and an interior garden. Artwork by local painters, sculptors, stained glass artisans and others is on display throughout the public areas.

Non-traditional finishes including stone tiles, hardwood floors and designer colors add to the hospital's beauty and warmth.

The award-winning Cascade Valley Hospital is located at 330 South Stillaguamish Avenue in Arlington. Visit www.cascadevalley.org for information.