Stewart Memorial Community Hospital (SMCH) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony today (Thursday) for the $31 million Putting People First expansion project at their facilities in Lake City. When completed, the additions and renovations will triple the size of the new emergency department, create additional private exam rooms, add a helicopter landing area and much more. CEO, Cindy Carstens, says this is one the most exciting times in the hospital’s nearly 60-year history.
Those partnerships include Graham Construction, CMBA Architects and the hospital’s capital campaign team, foundation and board members. SMCH opened for patients in 1962 and has grown to fit the needs of the communities they serve over the years. In the mid-1970s, they expanded with new patient rooms, an intensive care unit and physical and respiratory therapy departments. They added home health and hospice in the 80s with the medical clinic joining the main hospital in 1992. CFO, Jim Henkenius, says the Putting People First expansion is the next step for the hospital and the community.
The $31 million project will be funded primarily through low-interest financing from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. SMCH’s capital campaign is in the process of raising $2.25 million to reduce the amount the hospital needs to borrow. Foundation President, Jo Grodahl, says they are well on their way to meeting that goal thanks to the generosity of everyone in their service area.
As of Thursday, the capital campaign has raised over $1.8 million. Preliminary work is expected to get underway in November with an approximately 30-month construction timeline until completion. Full video from Thursday’s groundbreaking can be found included below.
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