CONNERSVILLE — Reid Health broke ground on a new hospital in Connersville on Wednesday. The eyesore empty lot on Park will soon be a new facility rife with services, including a helipad linked to an emergency department, something Fayette County hasn't had in 30 years.
"We're going to bring more services, such as infusions, we're going to have our sleep lab here. We'll have rehab and primary care and specialty care physicians, as well," Reid Health president and CEO Craig Kinyon said.
In its health assessment, the state health department identified Fayette County as having a shortage of primary care physicians, dentists, and mental health services. Members of the community attended the groundbreaking, relieved that much-needed medical services are on the horizon.
Connersville High School student body president Jocelyn McClung spoke at the ceremony about the opportunities the new facility will bring to the area.
"It's scary knowing you'd have to travel so far, especially in an emergency. You could travel to the hospital and get there too late in an extreme circumstance," McClung said.
Kinyon hopes the hospital will provide more than just healthcare services. He hopes it will attract other employers and be a source of hope for the future. That's why local children were the ones who broke ground.
"If you can support the children of the community to be successful and want to stay here because they've grown to love this community, then that gives them the opportunity to build this community," Kinyon said.
The facility should be opening in 2024. It will replace the old facility on Virginia Avenue.
-
Greenfield growth drives push for a third fire station as emergency calls surge
Now there's a push to get a third fire station amid more concerns about response times and available resources within the Greenfield Fire Territory.
"It’s always a gamble": Indiana farmers watch weather as drought deepens
The latest Drought Monitor, released January 8, shows that 68% of Indiana is in some form of drought.
Indianapolis cracks down on vacant properties with Continuous Vacancy program
The city says it’s implementing a new program to address properties that have sat vacant for years, often becoming magnets for squatters, drug activity and fires.
A petition is looking to regulate license plate cameras in Indiana
Automated license plate readers help police solve crimes, but some argue that they lack state oversight in Indiana.
