Freeman announces plans for new 50

Reporter

Paula Baker, Freeman Health System president and CEO, with help from Kevin McClintock, media relations coordinator, on Wednesday shows off a rendering of the the 50-bed, $168 million hospital that Freeman plans to build in Pittsburg. She said architectural work is ongoing and a location hasn’t been determined yet, but that Freeman officials are working as quickly as possible to nail down the details. GLOBE | JOHN HACKER

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Freeman Health System CEO Paula Baker was noticeably excited when she met with reporters Wednesday outside the Freeman Physicians Group of Pittsburg office for what was billed only as a “major announcement.”

Baker said Freeman will spend about $168 million to build a 170,000-square-foot, 50-bed, full-service hospital in Pittsburg. A specific location is still to be determined.

“Pittsburg is my hometown, and that’s a fact that I am very proud of,” Baker said. “Virtually every street in this town holds special memories for me, so this is an exciting day for me personally. Most importantly, this day is a historic one for Freeman Health System, for the city of Pittsburg and the entire Southeast Kansas region.”

“Not only will this new hospital serve the medical and wellness needs of Southeast Kansas, but it will also be very good for the local economy,” Baker said. “We estimate that between 500 and 1,000 new jobs will be created as part of this endeavor.”

She said a team of architects is working on the design of the hospital while a place to build it is being sought.

“We all know that hospitals are central to the success and well-being of every community,” Baker said. “They, along with the schools and other important stakeholders, add to the vibrancy and strength of our local communities. Over the last several years, numerous business and community leaders have urged Freeman to expand our services in Southeast Kansas and we’re very excited to take this next step. The residents of Pittsburg and Southeast Kansas deserve the best, and at Freeman Health system we are committed to providing just that — quality innovative health care in your own backyard.”

Baker said the construction timeline was still up in the air.

“We are finishing arrangements with the architect,” Baker said. “Construction will begin as soon as possible, as soon as the plans are finalized, the land is evaluated and finalized. We want to do this as quickly as possible.”

City officials expressed surprise at the announcement, saying they had not heard about the plans until they were announced Wednesday.

“People come talk to the city when they want incentives or they need permission, and I think in this case it’s pretty clear they don’t need either at this point,” said Pittsburg City Manager Daron Hall, who also serves on the board of directors of Pittsburg’s existing Ascension Via Christi Hospital. “I can tell you we’ve always positioned ourselves to be a medical hub. We’ve positioned ourselves to be the regional transportation hub, the retail hub. We understand we’re the big micropolitan center in Southeast Kansas, so we have a responsibility to provide services. With regards to being a medical hub, I’d say the more medical services we can provide in the city for the people the better. That’s something we pride ourselves on and take very seriously.”

Currently, 35 states have in place a certificate-of-need law or program, which generally regulates hospitals, outpatient facilities and long-term care facilities, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Missouri law, for example, requires state regulation of actions such as developing or acquiring a health care facility, approving capital expenditures by a health care facility and offering a new health service at an existing facility.

Kansas has no such law, according to the organization.

Nick Ragone, executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for Ascension, could not be reached for comment by email Wednesday.

The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, a federally qualified health center based in Pittsburg, has worked well with Freeman over the years, CEO Krista Postai said in a statement emailed to the Globe.

“This is certainly another opportunity to work together to improve the well-being of the least healthy region of Kansas,” Postai said in the statement. “They’ve done a tremendous job of bringing specialty services to Pittsburg, which our patients have benefited from, and it comes as no surprise that they want to provide a facility closer to the people they serve. As the largest provider of primary care in the region, CHC/SEK welcomes any and all resources Paula Baker and the Freeman Health System can bring to support our efforts to improve the quality of life for all of us who call this home.”

Baker said Freeman already has a sizable footprint in Pittsburg, with several primary care clinics, an outpatient surgery center and a comprehensive medical oncology program. Earlier this month, Freeman recently renewed its partnership as the exclusive provider of sports medicine for Pittsburg State University athletics.

Paul Roberts, of Fort Scott, who was visiting a doctor at the Freeman Physicians Group office in Pittsburg, said he thinks building a hospital is good for the Pittsburg community, but he believes the health system should build something bigger than 50 beds.

“On the grand scale of things, it’s a small size, and I’m thinking Fort Scott has an existing facility standing there and going to waste,” Roberts said. “It’s a step in the right direction because rural communities have been abandoned. If you live rural and you have a heart attack, you’re not going to make it to Kansas City and you’re not going to make it to Wichita. It’s a great idea. We’ve got to do something to help rural from just becoming economic deserts.”

The new Freeman Pittsburg hospital will offer a full array of services, including an emergency department, cardiac services, an intensive care unit, maternity, pediatrics, outpatient/inpatient surgery — including robotic procedures — as well as medical and radiation oncology. New physicians, nurses and technicians will also be recruited to provide health care in Pittsburg, Baker said.

Hall said the estimate of between 500 and 1,000 new jobs was significant for Pittsburg.

“FedEx came in,” Hall said. “They’re the latest new employer, and they added 150 or 160 new jobs. That puts it in perspective. That would be a tremendous number of new jobs. They would be a big employer behind the city, the university and the current hospital.”

Existing hospital Ascension Via Christi Hospital is the existing hospital in Pittsburg. The 188-bed hospital was built in the 1970s as Mount Carmel Hospital at the corner of Rouse Street and Centennial Drive in Pittsburg.

Managing Editor Emily Younker contributed to this report.

Ascension Via Christi Hospital is the existing hospital in Pittsburg. The 188-bed hospital was built in the 1970s as Mount Carmel Hospital at the corner of Rouse Street and Centennial Drive in Pittsburg.

Reporter

Check joplinglobe.com/polls for past results.

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.