Cox removes fountains at north hospital

People visiting or driving by Cox North in recent days may have noticed construction on the recognizable fountains on the west side of the hospital.

But the work is not part of the health system's long-planned expansion to the 100-plus-year-old north facility; it's a response to safety concerns.

Health system officials performed an evaluation of the campus last month and found that the fountains and their supports were deteriorating, according to spokeswoman Stacy Fender. Fender said the fountains' conditions didn't meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards due to leaks and electrical equipment beneath the fountains, which she said could pose a danger to staff or visitors.

"Because of the historical significance of the fountains to many in the community and to CoxHealth employees, we conducted a thorough review to determine if the fountains were salvageable," Fender said in an e-mail. "Sadly, they were not."

She added that the fountains are being replaced with flower beds, and the statue of hospital namesake Lester E. Cox, which was removed to facilitate the work, will be returned to its location in front of the hospital.

The health system's plans for a new facility for the Cox College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Cox North, part of $120 million in planned projects systemwide, are still in place but on hold while work progresses in south Springfield on the new Cox Surgery Center, the Meyer Orthopedic Center and a new emergency department at Cox South.

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