Reid Health breaks ground on healthier future

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.