A group tasked with taking care of hospital facilities will consider two separate remodel projects aimed at increasing clinic space at a cost of about $1 million.
The Allen County Regional Hospital facilities board decided to pursue the two projects after a meeting Thursday, instead of moving all aspects of the hospital to its primary location.
One is to remodel the former labor and delivery unit at the hospital, in order to create a new specialty clinic. The hospital no longer delivers babies.
The specialty clinic would allow patients to see doctors affiliated with St. Luke’s Health System in areas such as surgery, pulmonology, wound care and more.
The other project would remodel the existing Medical Arts Building at Second and Madison streets, near G&W Foods, and use that as a physicians’ clinic. The ACRH health clinic at 401 S. Washington would move to that location.
Specialty clinic
The specialty clinic at ARCH would cost about $838,628.
The facilities board will pursue specific cost estimates and developing plans for the remodel.
The plan would change the labor and delivery area into private exam rooms, with a separate check-in and waiting room. The hospital ended its labor and delivery program last year when St. Luke’s took over management of the hospital.
Construction shouldn’t have much impact on other hospital services.
The board currently has about $758,000 in its account, and receives about $50,000 a month from a countywide sales tax.
The money is there, board chairman Terry Sparks and secretary Jim Gilpin said. Board member John Brocker was concerned with spending all of the group’s funds on one project, but Gilpin said the account would continue to grow before the project begins and the funds would not be depleted.
Health clinic
The board decided to pursue a less-expensive option regarding the physician clinic.
Currently, the hospital offers a health clinic at 401 S. Washington, which it leases from Dr. Richard Hull, a former physician here.
Because the building is outdated and its lease expires next year, board members had considered either building anew or incorporating clinic services and personnel at an expansion at the hospital.
