SOUTHERN ILLINOIS HEALTHCARE CONSIDERS ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL

WEST FRANKFORT, Ill. -- Southern Illinois Healthcare wants to build a new hospital.

Plans call for construction of a six-room acute-care hospital that would include an emergency room. It would replace the UMW of A Hospital.

Cost of the facility is projected at $7.9 million.

Construction of the hospital is contingent upon community support and clearance from the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board.

"We considered several alternatives before deciding to replace the existing facility with a smaller community hospital," said John J. Buckley Jr., president of Southern Illinois Healthcare. "In our community needs assessment, the presence of an emergency room in West Frankfort was cited by residents as the No. 1 health-care need. To provide emergency services, hospital beds need to be part of the program."

Jeanne Foster, a spokeswoman for Southern Illinois Healthcare, said the UMW of A Hospital needs major renovations and modernization at an estimated cost of $7 million.

"For $7.9 million, we could have a brand new, modern, up-to-date facility," she said.

The old hospital has 75 beds, but only 30 to 32 are actually in use. The in-patient population averages four patients per day, Foster said.

The new hospital would have core services including laboratory, radiology, respiratory, pharmacy, dietary and other services.

Construction of the hospital would not begin before spring, and it would probably be 2000 before it opened, Foster said.

SIH's community assessment results indicated the top two choices were construction of the hospital or construction of an ambulatory care center for $4.7 million.

SIH is looking at ways to make up half -- $1.6 million -- of the $3.2 million difference in cost.

"We will look for grant funds and demonstration projects as well as asking for philanthropic gifts from the community," Buckley said. "We are asking the West Frankfort community to partner with us in providing this innovative approach to rural health care."