Breese hospital to build $9.5 million outpatient surgery wing

St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese is launching a $9.5 million expansion project, which is expected to take 13 months.

The 69-bed hospital plans to construct a one-story building to create a new ambulatory surgery wing that will include 22 private rooms.

“HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital - Breese is committed to meeting the healthcare needs of the people we serve,” said Paulette Evans, the hospital’s president and CEO. “This new project is part of our vision of what the future of exceptional care will continue to look like in Clinton County.”

Hospital officials say this project will offer more privacy to patients and their families. Once complete, ambulatory surgery patients will no longer need to be transported across the hospital from the surgical suites to their rooms.

“Our patients requested that the process be more discrete, and we listened,” Evans said. “All ambulatory surgery needs will be cared for in a private area, away from the bustling main halls of the hospital.”

Poettker Construction in Breese will serve as the general contractor of the project.

The project is expected to begin as soon as the hospital’s helipad is temporarily moved to the specialty clinic lot on Sept. 7. The parking lot east of the specialty clinic will be temporarily closed. Additional handicap parking spaces are being added to the parking lot to the west of the specialty clinic.

The expansion project is slated to be completed in December 2017. Once complete, it will link to the north side of the hospital, which faces the St. Joseph’s HealthPlex.

This story was originally published August 27, 2016 at 7:09 AM with the headline "Breese hospital to build $9.5 million outpatient surgery wing."