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Glenn Fosdick, president and CEO of The Nebraska Medical Center, second from right, assists in the Bellevue Medical Center groundbreaking on Thursday. |
“We’ve spent the past year in very careful and deliberate consideration as we design and plan this project,” said Richard Osterholm, M.D., chairman of Bellevue Medical Center’s Board of Directors and adjunct professor of internal medicine at UNMC. “Our goal is to give this area the very best hospital we can. This ground breaking represents a significant step forward not only for Bellevue Medical Center, but also for our future patients.”
The hospital, located in the southwest corner of Highway 370 and 25th St., will fulfill a growing need in the area.
“The Bellevue-Offutt community is rapidly expanding with commercial and residential development on the rise,” Bellevue Mayor Ed Babbitt said. “Quality healthccare is a key component of this growth. We are proud to support Bellevue Medical Center.”
“As this community continues to thrive, the need for a full-service hospital is only going to increase. Not only will Bellevue Medical Center fulfill that need, it will be a place where patients and their families receive extraordinary care from talented physicians, nurses and staff,” said Glenn A. Fosdick, president and CEO of The Nebraska Medical Center.
Plans for the hospital have evolved since the announcement one year ago. The original 60-bed count has increased to 100. Each inpatient room will still be private, offering patients both peace and a little extra space as they heal. The overall size of Bellevue Medical Center also has grown to 250,000 square feet.
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From left: UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., and Bob Bell, vice president of UNeMed, during Thursday’s news conference about the Bellevue Medical Center groundbreaking. |
The hospital will be full-service, providing comprehensive patient care. Features include a 24/7 emergency department, intensive care unit, labor and delivery, inpatient and outpatient surgery, cardiac catheterization lab, a pharmacy, radiology and lab testing. A planned helipad will allow for urgent patient transports, if needed.
“We will be able to provide the very best in patient care and service to an area of southeastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa that until now has experienced a gap in healthcare,” said John Lehning, Bellevue Medical Center’s Director of Construction. “We’ve been working hand in glove with Bellevue, Offutt and the surrounding communities to ensure we meet their needs.”
The project team for Bellevue Medical Center consists of architectural firm HDR; developer Frauenshuh Healthcare Real Estate Solutions; and Kiewit Building Group.
The estimated cost of construction for the hospital is $100 million. The medical campus is expected to be complete in early 2010.
Bellevue Medical Center can be found online at www.bellevuemed.com.