Ferrell breaks ground, plans work targeted at $9 million

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[When Ferrell Hospital of Eldorado on Tuesday broke ground for a major addition for an expanded health care provider area that will allow consolidation of several locations into the main hospital, a much larger project was announced by hospital President/CEO Thomas F. Barry Jr.

Barry said the hospital is launching a fund drive for a huge expansion program. He said the drive, with a goal set at $9 million, already has reached $1.7 million through gifts and grants.

When complete, he said, the hospital will add "new facilities" that will expand the hospital by 17,000 to 18,000 square feet.

While he did not define all of the plans of the hospital board, he did say the goals will include a cancer treatment center at Ferrell.

"We will build an infusion center," he said, explaining the advantages for local-area residents to be able to get services in Eldorado rather than traveling to major cities.

The hospital also would move to a state-of-art Intensive Care Unit through electronic monitoring so major hospitals as far away as Mayo Clinic will be able keep constant monitoring of Ferrell patients.

One part of the large plan, electronic records, already has been funded by the state, he said.

"We are doing a lot of good things. A lot of exciting things are going on here," Barry said.

Perhaps the most exciting item on Barry's agenda was announcement the hospital has, financially turned the corner and is doing well.

Ten years ago the hospital had been put up for sale and only a few years ago, in 2005, the then-owners of the hospital were ready to close the doors. The community organized top save the hospital and Barry gave full credit to the staff of the hospital for turning the balance sheets around.

He said the staff stayed at the hospital and didn't leave while work was under way to get out of a deficit position.

He said the staff workers have "gone through a long time of hard times," defining them as "people who care."

Barry told the large groundbreaking crowd that extended - and packed - several hallways, "Virtually on a weekly basis we are saving lives."

While tremendous ventures were outlined for the future, the event on Tuesday was an expansion to move providers to the hospital.

Chief of Medical Staff Dr. Elliott Partridge recalled the last groundbreaking, 35 years ago, "when we were forced to build a new hospital."

Now, he said, another force caused the expansion. When the hospital opened at the present location Feb. 1, 1975, there were four health care providers in Eldorado. Now there are 20.

"We are running out of room," he said.

Reports to the state would indicate having providers is financially important to the hospital. In 2010, outpatient revenues of Ferrell were in excess of $11 million. Inpatient revenues were more than $4 million.

The Tuesday ceremony was for the start of construction for three additional provider suites including nine exam rooms and three physician offices. The expansion will include a centralized registration and business office.

Barry, who said the hospital also has received a grant for a new 16-slice CT scanner, said about 3,000 feet will be added to the building during the current project and about 3,000 square feet will be remodeled.

Others of the staff and community also spoke.

State Rep. Brandon Phelps

State Rep. Brandon Phelps, a baby delivered by Partridge, said affordability and availability of health care is important to the growth of a community.

He referred to himself and state Sen. Gary Forby as "little dogs who bite heels" to obtain grants for local needs.

Forby told the group, "If you don't have a hospital, you can't get business."

Dr. Albert Bledig

Ferrell Board Chairman Dr. Albert Bledig also spoke briefly about future plans, and was the first to say, "we are ready to kick off a campaign to raise additional money for additional facilities."

Dr.Nate Oldham

Dr. Nate Oldham told the group he is glad he decided to "come back here" after medical school and hailed future plans as a "catapult into the future.

"Ferrell will continue to grow and expand," he said.

Linda Redick

The feeling of a hometown project was emphasized by physician's assistant Linda Redick, who said she first worked at Ferrell as a CNA.

"I am a hometown girl. This community is my home," she said.

With the expansion, Redick said the hospital will be able to extend the hours when a doctor is in the office.

The current project has primary funding through an Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity CDAP Flex grant through the city of Eldorado on behalf of Ferrell Hospital.

Eldorado City Council, almost precisely two years before the dedication, gave approval for the grant application.

Under grant guidelines, Eldorado had to make application and, at least technically, own the structure.

The guideline also said the city supplies matching money. However, agreement was made with Ferrell for the hospital to provide the actual match of about $200,000 for a grant of $580,000.

More recently, Eldorado council supported Ferrell Hospital in the successful effort to obtain a grant from the state for a CT scanner and new chilling equipment that both heats and cools the hospital. That grant also has been funded, with Barry making the hospital's official announcement Tuesday.

The city will operate as a "pass through" agency and will have no cost. Ferrell Hospital has committed 25 percent of the $470,000 grant application, or $120,000, to the scanner and heating and cooling project.