Memorial’s first set of doctor offices in Shiloh is full, even before work is done. The answer: Build another.

With one medical office building almost complete on the campus of Memorial Hospital East in Shiloh, Memorial in conjunction with BJC Healthcare hopes to build a second building at a cost of $32.4 million.

Memorial Regional Health Services, Metro-East Services Memorial Group and BJC have filed an application with the state health board, seeking approval of the building.

If approved by the Illinois Health Facilities and Service Review Board, a three-story, 66,400-square-foot medical office building would be constructed on the 94-acre campus near the intersection of Frank Scott Parkway and Cross Street.

Once complete, the building would house doctor offices and allow for expansion of Memorial Medical Group’s primary and specialty care providers, according to a news release.

“We are very excited to expand services on the Memorial Hospital East campus. We look forward to providing more convenient access to providers and services for residents of Southwestern Illinois,” Mark J. Turner, Memorial Regional Health Services president, stated in a news release.

Memorial Regional Health Services is a non-profit organization jointly governed by Memorial and BJC HealthCare and it is the parent organization of Memorial Hospital and Memorial Hospital East.

“The strategic affiliation with BJC has allowed us to move more rapidly with providing services to the community,” Turner said during a phone interview.

The application is expected to be reviewed by the state health board at a meeting later this year. Construction would begin in early 2018 with completion expected in mid-2019, if approved.

Shiloh Mayor Jim Vernier described it as “wonderful news. It’s great news for our community to have those services so close to home,” he said.

“I’m sure it will fill up,” Vernier said of the second medical office building. “It’s a very successful area.”

A $25 million medical building on the Shiloh hospital’s campus is already under construction with completion expected in October. The 70,500-square-foot, three-story medical office building is fully leased, Turner said.

“We have the need to expand services further,” he said.

Tenants will include MMF orthopedic, OB/GYN, family medicine, vascular and pulmonary physicians, Lincoln Surgical Associates, Washington University School of Medicine pediatric specialists, the Harold and Dixie LePere Breast Health Center, physical therapy/rehab services, laboratory draw services and radiology.

Turner said he’s excited about the Washington University School of Medicine pediatric specialists, which will bring child medical experts in the areas of cardiology, gastrointestinal, and allergy, among others.

Swansea-based Holland Construction Services is constructing the office building. The second medical office building will be attached to the one currently under construction, Turner said.

The $124 million Memorial Hospital East opened in April 2016 at 1404 Cross St.

“We are seeing growth in services at East,” Turner said. “There’s a great deal of physician interest in having a primary or secondary office on our campus at East...We are looking to bring more physicians to our community.”

He added that Belleville residents shouldn’t be concerned about the future of the Belleville campus. “We are expanding services at both locations,” he said. “We are constantly investing here (in Belleville).”

In April, a new $4.8 million hybrid operating room opened at Memorial Hospital Belleville. There’s no need to construct more medical office buildings in Belleville, Turner said, because office space is available in the hospital’s current buildings.

St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is constructing a replacement hospital off Green Mount Road in O’Fallon. The $253 million replacement hospital is expected to open Nov. 4. St. Elizabeth’s is also building a $34 million ambulatory care center adjacent to the new hospital on the 120 acres of land, which will also open Nov. 4.

This story was originally published August 25, 2017 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Memorial’s first set of doctor offices in Shiloh is full, even before work is done. The answer: Build another.."