Rogers hospital will move to new high-tech campus in 2007

The new $145-million St. Mary's Hospital, shown here in an artist's rendering, will be located on 75 acres off of Interstate 540. Construction is expected to be finished by December 2007.
The new $145-million St. Mary's Hospital, shown here in an artist's rendering, will be located on 75 acres off of Interstate 540. Construction is expected to be finished by December 2007.

ROGERS — A new medical campus for Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas is under construction that will address the needs of health care in today’s society.
With the growing population and economy in northwest Arkansas, Mercy Health System will be relocating to the new facility by December 2007.
Located on 75 acres near Interstate 540 and a developing business and retail area, the 350,000-square-foot St. Mary Hospital and 120,000-square-foot medical office building will serve northwest Arkansas and the region, which is projected to grow an average of 6 percent each year. The population of Benton County alone is estimated to grow by 11 percent by 2007.
“What is really interesting about the new hospital is that there is a number of new technologies that we’re building in that will really enhance the service lines we have up and running. There are a number of ways that we are going to utilize these new technologies,” Kyle Weaver, corporate communications specialist, said.
The new medical campus will incorporate automated systems, which will take the facility from a paper environment to a faster and safer digital environment. With the change, the new facility will join fewer than 6 percent of hospitals that have this technology hospital-wide. In 2004 Wal-Mart pledged $5 million to help launch Mercy Health System Northwest Arkansas’ capital campaign to finance the new technology and implement new operational system laboratories and a technology information center in the new hospital.
In acknowledging the donation, Susan Barrett, CEO of Mercy Health Systems Northwest Arkansas, said, “It is more about the core issues — such as patient safety and workplace simplification as well as application of information technology to fundamental processes such as medication and supply chain management — than it is about replacing an old building with a new one.”
In July 2005 the Sisters of Mercy Health System was named one of the nation’s “most wired” hospitals and health systems by Hospitals & Health Networks.
The Sisters of Mercy Health System operates in a seven-state area, including Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.
In addition to the new technology, Mercy Health System will be incorporating staff training on campus at a new education center and learning labs, along with policies and standards to create a safe environment that will ensure patient safety and quality care.
Actual construction is on schedule and on budget, according to Weaver. The $145-million project will be paid for with $105 million from operations and reserves and $40 million from the capital campaign.
In addition to the Wal-Mart donation, some other donors include J.B. and Jonelle Hunt, $5 million; Wal-Mart president and CEO Lee Scott and his wife Linda, $1 million along with four challenge pledges of $250,000; retired Wal-Mart executive Don Soderquist and his wife Jo, $1 million; and Kimberly-Clark, $100,000.
The bed space of the new hospital will increase from 145 to 200 beds, along with emergency services and care in cardiology, orthopedics, neurology and outpatient services.
“So while the new hospital as well as the other new hospitals (in the area) are gearing up to meet the needs and demands of quality health care in this growing area, it doesn’t necessarily meet the overall need for bed space,” Weaver said. “Even with new buildings and new technologies coming on board and better efficiencies, there are still some logistical issues from a community standpoint that will have to be addressed down the line, depending how fast and how much northwest Arkansas grows.”
Currently, Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas employs about 1,400 employees at 22 medical clinics.

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