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Sign in place, new hospital to follow

news@theeveningtimes.com

The sign is up on the site of the new hospital along 7th Street and the I-55 Service Road and bid packets are going out this week for the dirt work contract.

“We’re excited about this,” said County Judge Woody Wheeless. “This is the beginning of what we have all been waiting for.”

Baptist Memorial Health Care and Crittenden County broke ground last September on a $25 million hospital in West Memphis.

The 50,000 square foot facility, which is expected to open in early-to-mid 2018, will have 20 beds and will include an emergency room, in-patient nursing care, outpatient surgery, radiology, diagnostic lab, and cancer treatment.

Wheeless said the bid packets will be due back on March 21 and he expects site work could start by the end of the month.

“If the weather holds up, we should be going in there and creating a temporary parking lot for all of the construction workers and bringing some trailers in,” Wheeless said. “That will be happening in about a week or so. And once that dirt work begins, it is full steam ahead.”

The cost to build the hospital is being supported by a one cent sales tax which will generate $30 million over the next five years.

Crittenden County entered into an agreement on a 25 year lease with two fiveyear extensions. Baptist purchased the land and will lease it to the county for one dollar a year. Baptist will also have the option to buy the hospital building from the county after 10 years.

The county has been without a hospital since Crittenden Regional Hospital declared bankruptcy and closed in 2014.

Baptist is the largest health

Once dirt work begins, ‘ it is full steam ahead,’ says Wheeless care provider in the mid-South with 17 hospitals in the region and over 200 beds.

Officials project that 25,000 patients will use the ER.

Wheeless said he is glad to see the process moving forward. He gets asked about the status of the project constantly by area residents.

“When I put that picture of the sign up Saturday on Facebook and told people to like it and share it, I got over 300 likes. People are watching it and are very interested.”

Wheeless said Baptist has been very cooperative throughout the process keeping him informed on a regular basis as the project moves forward.

“They call me on a regular basis — at least once a week,” Wheeless said. “I get e-mails from them all the time letting me know what is going on. And I’ve gone over to their office for meetings, and in fact, will be going over this week for an update.”

By Mark Randall

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