The $22.5 million building project at Greene County Medical Center is officially underway, as 50 members of the community and persons involved in the project took their turns with shovels in a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony Thursday afternoon.
Medical center CEO Carl Behne served as master of ceremonies. More than 125 persons were on hand, including Bill Menner, USDA Rural Development state director, Arnold Thomas, USDA Rural Development community programs specialist, representatives from UnityPoint Health Des Moines and the Iowa Hospital Association, the medical center board of trustees and foundation board members, the steering committee of the “Investing in Tomorrow’s Care” capital campaign, local elected officials, representatives of companies involved in the project and dozens of medical center employees.
Behne said the project takes into consideration “the voices of our patients, our employees and our providers. It has been a thorough and inclusive project.”
The project will add 51,000 square-feet and remodel nearly that much space in the existing facility to optimize access, privacy and efficiency. Most of the work will be done on the east end of the campus. One of the more noticeable changes will be a highly visible emergency department at the northeast corner of the campus.
Jim Schleisman, chairperson of the medical center board of trustees, noted that since the hospital was built 77 years ago, there have been expansions, but this is the largest to date. “The board of trustees has worked very hard to make sure this project will take the medical center far into the future,” he said.
The project is funded with an $18 million USDA loan, a $2 million loan at Home State Bank guaranteed by the USDA, and a capital fund drive with a goal of raising $4 million. The capital campaign, “Investing in Tomorrow’s Care,” was kicked off with a $2 million anonymous donation announced in February.
Rick Morain and John Gerken are co-chairs of the capital campaign. “A $4 million capital campaign is a huge undertaking, and we’re so grateful to the members of the steering committee and to the many donors who have already contributed to the project,” Morain said. “In order to attract good staff to the facility, in order to attract good people to the community, you have to keep the quality of life at a high level, and that’s what this project will do.”
Gerken introduced members of the steering committee: Kim Bates, Jamie Daubendiek, Mary Jane Fields, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Sid Jones, Dr Steven Karber, John Muir, Bill Raney, Jan Scharingson and Gary Von Ahsen. He reported that the capital campaign has reached 61 percent of its goal with nearly $2.5 million in hand or pledged. That includes $102,000 from medical center employees.
“The importance of today’s groundbreaking and what it means to Greene County to me is underscored by the distance many of us traveled to attend – blocks or minutes. That’s what we need for a local medical community to offer that kind of care and be so close at hand. Having quality medical care so close is right in times of emergency, and it’s truly appreciated when it makes it much easier to visit and comfort family members and friends,” Gerken said.
“Today represents a big day for the medical center and for Greene County and the surrounding area. The capital campaign allows each of us the opportunity to participate in a very personal way,” he added.
Five groups were called forward to break ground. The Greene County Medical Center board of trustees and USDA’s Menner and Arnold had the first honors. They were followed by the Greene County Medical Center Foundation board and representatives of HGA (architects) and Woodruff Construction, then by the “Investing in Tomorrow’s Care” steering committee, the medical center executive directors, and finally the Greene County Chamber & Development ambassadors.
Hollie Roberts is director of the medical center foundation. She said following the ceremony that working with the “Investing in Tomorrow’s Care” campaign has been “a great experience,” that the committee and the community are enthusiastic about the project. “This is good work that we’re doing here. It’s very gratifying,” Roberts said.
