MOUNT VERNON — Knox Community Hospital, an independent, community-owned, not-for-profit hospital located in Mount Vernon, Ohio, will soon begin the largest growth and expansion project in its history with the addition of a four-story, 80,000-square-foot Family Care Center on its main campus. Construction is expected to begin in July.
“This is an exciting time for KCH and for our community,” said Bruce White, Chief Executive Officer. “The new Family Care Center will allow us to locate many of the services our community needs and accesses most frequently in one state-of-the-art care center, while also creating additional clinical space in our existing facilities for new and expanded services.”
The Family Care Center will be the new home for cardiology clinics, cardiac testing and cardiac rehabilitation; family medicine and pediatric providers; women’s diagnostic imaging, obstetrics and gynecology services; and a brand-new birthing center. “As a community-owned entity, and as the only hospital in Knox County, birthing services are essential to our mission,” said White. “We want to ensure that every woman giving birth to a child in Knox County has the highest quality care in the most advanced and comfortable setting available close to home.”
The new birthing center will feature eight Labor Delivery Recovery Post-Partum (LDRP) rooms, two additional, spacious post-partum rooms, and a surgical suite to accommodate C-section deliveries. This will mean that, barring unforeseen emergencies, mothers and newborns will be able to receive all the necessary care they require without ever having to step foot in the hospital. Additionally, a skywalk will provide direct access from the new birthing center to the hospital, offering easy passage between both buildings for staff, and allowing quick access in the case of an emergency.
With the recent addition of several new OB providers as well as a Certified Nurse Midwife, KCH has already seen a dramatic growth in the number of babies born in the first part of 2018. “Historically, around eight hundred children are born to Knox County residents each year,” explained Joanne Yates, Director of Birthing Services. “Traditionally, around four hundred of those are delivered at our facility. However, we have already seen more than 150 births in 2018, and the new birthing center will easily accommodate eight hundred births each year. That means more families will have the option of delivering closer to home, and in a comfortable home-like setting instead of a hospital atmosphere.”
The first floor of the planned structure will bring together a number of family medicine practitioners, both physicians and advanced practice providers, in one location, allowing more convenient access to primary care, easier scheduling of appointments, and reduced wait times. The birthing center will be located on the second floor, with direct ground-level access, as the facility will be located on the hill behind the existing hospital tower and Knox Medical Pavilion.
The third floor will be home to the obstetrics and gynecology providers, women’s diagnostic imaging, and pediatric providers. KCH recently brought pediatrician Dr. Svetlana Titishina, who is known to her patients as Dr. Lana, to the community, and expects to add several additional pediatric providers over the next few years. The fourth floor will feature cardiology clinics, cardiac testing, and a new state-of- the-art cardiac rehabilitation center.
The total cost of the project, including both new construction and the renovation of existing space is estimated to be approximately $45 million. While that is certainly a significant investment, The Foundation for Knox Community Hospital, a separate 501(c)(3) organization made up of volunteer community leaders who annually raise money and support for KCH, has already been hard at work over the past eighteen months in anticipation of this project. To date, nearly $10 million in lead gifts and pledges have been raised by The Foundation before construction has even begun.
“Significant lead gifts and pledges from organizations like Ariel Foundation and corporate partners such as First-Knox National Bank have been instrumental in getting this project off the ground,” said Charlie Brenneman, Chair of The Foundation for KCH and a member of the KCH Board of Trustees. “Additionally, Ann and Ted Schnormeier, who have long supported our work, made a very generous gift toward this project just before Ann passed away last year. We are thrilled that Ann’s legacy will live on through this project and the many others she and Ted have supported over the years. ” Ann Schnormeier served on both The Foundation and KCH boards for many years. So far, more than fifty donors, organizations, and corporations have already pledged financial support to the Family Care Center through The Foundation.
The Foundation recently launched a new four-year campaign to support the expansion project. Details about the campaign and additional information about how to support the effort can be found at www.KCH.org/Foundation. Meanwhile, KCH is in the process of securing a loan through the Department of Housing and Urban Development while The Foundation pursues additional funding. “Because of the organization’s strong financial position, the outstanding community support we have already received, and the low interest rate environment in which we find ourselves, this seemed to be the ideal time to make this kind of investment in the future health of our community,” said White.
Details regarding a formal groundbreaking ceremony will be forthcoming, and KCH intends to provide a number of creative opportunities for the community to follow the project from start to finish. KCH expects the new Family Care Center to be completed and serving the community at the end of 2019.
“We believe that this expansion will make Knox Community Hospital an even more valuable resource for the community, and we believe the community will be even stronger and healthier as a result of this investment,” said White. “Knox County is already such a great place to live, work, and raise a family. This project is an important way in which, together, we can all ensure that it stays that way for many years to come.”
