Weems Memorial hospital has been given County approval to begin investigating a plan to expand its Emergency Room as well as space for imaging and diagnostic services.
For years the hospital has been planning a major expansion that would include 10 patient rooms, an imaging suite and renovating the dining areas along with the expanded emergency room, but Weems CEO David Walker says financially that is not possible especially with inflation and the rising cost of construction.
Instead, they would like to break the hospital expansion plans into phases.
Phase one would be the emergency department including imaging and diagnostics services, because those are the areas of the hospital used most by residents and visitors.
Expanding those areas would give the hospital more space to serve patients.
Once that work is complete, the hospital would assess what would be the best for phase 2.
Franklin County began collecting money to replace the ageing Hospital building in 2007 and have about 9 million dollars in a fund to help pay for the work.
That is not enough on its own, but the county can leverage that as matching funds through other sources.
The hospital will now start the process of looking at prices and funding sources for the proposed emergency room expansion – and expect it will be a long process, with public input along the way.
But is does give the hospital a more specific path forward.
For years the hospital has been planning a major expansion that would include 10 patient rooms, an imaging suite and renovating the dining areas along with the expanded emergency room, but Weems CEO David Walker says financially that is not possible especially with inflation and the rising cost of construction.
Instead, they would like to break the hospital expansion plans into phases.
Phase one would be the emergency department including imaging and diagnostics services, because those are the areas of the hospital used most by residents and visitors.
Expanding those areas would give the hospital more space to serve patients.
Once that work is complete, the hospital would assess what would be the best for phase 2.
Franklin County began collecting money to replace the ageing Hospital building in 2007 and have about 9 million dollars in a fund to help pay for the work.
That is not enough on its own, but the county can leverage that as matching funds through other sources.
The hospital will now start the process of looking at prices and funding sources for the proposed emergency room expansion – and expect it will be a long process, with public input along the way.
But is does give the hospital a more specific path forward.
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