money Maury Regional Medical Center to undergo $115 million expansion, renovation
The Maury Regional Medical Center will soon be two floors larger with an addition of rooms, physicians and a full cosmetic renovation of the facility, included as part of a $115 million expansion, administration announced on the hospital lawn Friday.
Under sweltering near three-digit heat, Maury Regional Health CEO Martin Chaney made the announcement before dozens of local and state elected officials, hospital staff and community leaders.
Chaney said the hospital has grown over the past 70 years from a staff of 57 people and 100 beds in its beginnings to serving 500,000 inpatients, 1.5 million people through emergency services and has delivered 90,000 babies since 1953.
As Maury County ― the fastest growing county in the state — grows into the future, Chaney said the hospital must keep up.
"This has been in the works for a long time," Chaney said. "We deliver great care here, and it will only get better with more tools and space."
The expansion marks the first major construction project at Maury Regional Medical Center in approximately 20 years to enhance the patient experience and expand access to care.
The expansions and renovations would bulk up departments, add two additional floors for patient care and eventually present a more modern façade to the main campus complex.
The hospital will fund bonds to pay for the expansion, though the county commission will approve the funding.
The project that is expected to take nearly three years to complete and will be funded by issuance of bonds, the first of which Chaney said is expected to total $60 million.
Chaney acknowledged longtime board members, county commissioners and past CEO Bill Walter, the longest serving in the hospital's history, serving almost 35 years.
"We are standing on the backs of the many people who have gone before us," Chaney said. "This will improve patient access and experience."
Maury County Commission Board Chairman Eric Previti praised the hospital's endeavor, stating that the additions will further anchor the hospital in serving the community for decades to come.
"Amid change, Maury Regional hospital has remained constant. It's saved my life twice in two decades, and most of us have had loved ones who have entered the world here and those who have entered their final reward ...
"We are it. We are the best medical center in this region. We are not owned by a big corporation, which is unique. We don't have to go by corporate rules. We stay ahead of the game."
The additions and renovations will include additional labor rooms, two more floors, upgraded facilities and more physicians to name a few.
Highlights of the project include:
Addition of two floors - increasing the floors to 9 at the hospital
Emergency department expansion and renovation
Four new surgical suites
Modern exterior facade upgrades
Renovation of public dining spaces
Health parks in Lawrenceburg and Spring Hill
Heart Center expansion
Four patient rooms added to childbirth floor
Maury Regional Health selected Wold Architects & Engineers as the design firm, Chaney said.
The project is expected to be completed in 30 to 36 months.
The hospital has received a variety of recognitions recently as Chaney spoke of new technologies, treatments and added quality of care.
MRMC most recently attained “Gold” status among only 56 other national hospitals on the registry for cardiac care.
Groundwork laid in June commission meetings
Friday’s announcement was preceded by June county meetings, laying the groundwork for new contractual agreements to support hospital infrastructure energy upgrades.
The county commission recently approved approximately $16 million for upgrades to the energy infrastructure in the hospital, which will kick-start the foundation of the project.
At the regular June commission meeting, commissioners passed a resolution authorizing the hospital to upgrade thermal assets such as chillers and boilers under an energy as a service (or EaaS transaction).
The initial move was seen as a way to reduce energy operating costs for the county-owned premises, according to the resolution.
Budget Committee Chairwoman, Kathey Grodi asked company representatives at the meeting how much would be saved from reduced energy cost, through a lease agreement with Bernhard, LLC, to which the reply was in excess of $1 million.
Bernhard would make central utility upgrades.
At the June Health and Environment Committee meeting, Chaney said any capital savings from energy would assist in the addition of four to six ambulatory operating rooms that are badly needed.
“The community is growing,” Chaney said. “We have a lot of surgeons now. They are maxed out as far as their times to operate and so we need operating rooms in a bad way.”
Chaney said Friday that he hopes for the community to see changes begin at the hospital by the end of this calendar year.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Maury Regional set expand: Here's what's happening
