By TOM STANKARD
Ironwood - Aspirus Grand View Hospital broke ground Monday morning for a $16 million, 42,000 square-foot clinic complex.
Aspirus Grand View Chief Operating Officer, Paula Chermside said the community asked for "a better environment to receive care."
"We're delivering," she said. "When you see the plans for this great new facility and everything included to serve you, you will see we're taking the next great leap of health care to our community for years to come."
At the ceremony, several presenters spoke to a large crowd of Aspirus Grand View staff members, the board of trustees and community members.
After the presentations, the board of trustees, and others involved with the new complex, grabbed ceremonial shovels and broke ground for the new facility. Staff members and local residents joined in and broke ground, too.
Hospital spokesman David Sim said the complex calls for a variety of services under one roof, including "family medicine, cardiology, therapies, surgeons, cancer care and more."
Inside, Sim said there will be a "spacious entrance," 63 patient rooms, 29 provider offices, a high-tech community meeting room and a coffee-gift shop.
Outside the facility, Sim said there will be a covered drop-off entrance and increased number of parking spaces for patients.
According to Aspirus, the project will start this month.
Chermside said Aspirus's support made the new facility possible. "We have the support of the entire Aspirus system that makes this effort possible," she said. "We have greater strength more than any time in the past, and that is making the kick-off possible."
Over the years, Jeffery Nehring, Aspirus Grand View Board chair, said Grand View's partnership with Aspirus resulted in an expansion of services to local communities.
"In the last five years, Aspirus has supported Grand View to add a state-of-the-art emergency care center, a world-class electronic health records system, heart care from visiting providers that is nationally recognized, and a strong connection to the region's leading health care system," he said.
The entire Aspirus network includes more than 6,000 employees.
With the new facility, Chermside said the medical team can continue to grow.
"Because of the performance of our excellent medical team and entire staff, we continue to grow and need a larger, better place," she said.
For the project, Aspirus signed Miron Construction as general contractor and will use subcontractors with a local emphasis. In addition, Aspirus hired HDR, Inc. to be the architect.
If everything goes according to plan, the opening date will be November 2016 and the completion date is expected to be the summer of 2016.