By Derek R. Smith, Daily Reporter
dsmith@greenfieldreporter.com
GREENFIELD - Roy Wilson can't wait for the opening of Hancock Regional Hospital's medical office in McCordsville next spring. It's an opening that's one step closer now that the final funding has been approved.
At its last meeting, the hospital's board approved another $5.6 million for the clinic under construction along Mt. Comfort Road - for a total price tag of nearly $7.8 million. The additional money will go for interior construction, as well as for lab equipment, imaging equipment, physical therapy equipment, furniture, fixtures, cabling and phones.
"It's the first time for the hospital to make an investment of that significance outside of the main campus," said Wilson, a real estate agent who serves on the Hancock Regional board. "The first few weeks it was just incredible to see how fast the walls went up. We think it will be a huge community asset for that area."
State-of-the-art equipment in the McCordsville facility will include a high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and a digital mammography scanner, said Rob Matt, vice president of business development and marketing for HRH.
An MRI helps doctors diagnose and treat different medical conditions, while a digital mammography scanner helps detect breast cancer.
"It gives us the opportunity to deliver the best health care possible," Matt said of the equipment, adding the clinic's location will make for more convenient health care than McCordsville residents have ever had before.
Lauth Property Group is constructing the 27,000-square-foot building between CRs 800 and 900N and will manage its tenants. Hancock Regional will serve as the anchor tenant, with specialists rotating through the facility.
Subspecialists from St. Vincent Health will work in part of the facility, and Northeast Medical Group will relocate into the facility from its location in Geist.
Hancock Regional executives will be meeting with HRH specialists and St. Vincent officials to discuss the details of service offerings, Matt said. He expects the facility to open around March 1.
Wilson expects the McCordsville clinic to draw patients from the northwest part of Hancock County, as well as parts of Madison, Hamilton and Marion counties.
"The traditional market of county lines has long since gone away," Wilson said. "We see that (clinic) as a growth opportunity for the hospital, as well as a community that needs a (health care) choice."