Community Health Network plans to build two new facilities, one at its north campus and the other on its east side location.
Community will spend $60m to construct an outpatient cancer center on the north side, and $175 million to replace its Eastside hospital. The group said last year that it would renovate the hospital, but later decided building a new facility from scratch was more sensible.
Construction on the Eastside hospital will start in July. The new facility will be located directly behind the current hospital, at 1500 Ritter Avenue. The expected completion date of the new hospital is 2019, which is two years earlier than it would have been if the hospital had been renovated rather than replaced. The hospital will remain open during construction of the new facility.
The new hospital will have approximately 150 beds, which is about 25 more than would have been available if the facility were renovated. Included in the new hospital are surgical services, delivery services, medical imaging, and an emergency department.
Many residents will be disappointed about the fact that four buildings are slated to be demolished, as the Eastside hospital is popular throughout the area, many of whom feel a strong attachment to it and will lose part of their history.
Hospital management could work with brochure printers to create a booklet for the community describing the new facilities and services.
