Hospitals announce expansion plans

Since becoming part of the Ozarks' vernacular 20 years ago, Springfield's Medical Mile has added health care providers, products and services to meet the changing needs of southwest Missouri patients.

Announcements Oct. 2 and 3 by the two primary health care providers along the Mile Cox Health Systems and St. John's Regional Health System unveiled major projects slated for both in order to address their growing patient populations.

Cox, in concert with Ferrell-Duncan Clinic, will open a $6.3 million comprehensive cardiovascular services center on the third floor of Cox Medical Plaza I by early- to mid-2002.

As part of its master plan, St. John's will undergo its largest-ever expansion since the 1235 E. Cherokee campus was built 50 years ago. The expansion will comprise 440,000 square feet of office space, ambulatory services, expanded cardiac unit and trauma center and 1,000-car parking garage, as well as a new outpatient entrance and separate heart institute entrance. Other changes to the campus may include the closing of Cherokee Street. It's not yet known when or where construction will begin on the expansion the plans must first be approved in 2001 by St. Johns' board of directors, then the Sisters of Mercy, the St. Louis-based Catholic organization that owns the health system.

Larry Wallis, president and chief executive officer of Cox Health Systems, said Cox Heart Center will allow Cox to better prepare for the influx of baby boomers into the health system and provide a comprehensive continuum of cardiac services.

The heart center will provide a full range of outpatient cardiovascular diagnosis, therapy and research and be located near Cox Plaza Hotel, the pharmacy, behavioral health services and community meeting rooms, according to a Cox press release.

Plans for the heart center were drawn up about two years ago as part of the health system's five-year plan, Wallis said.

"In the last six to nine months, we've really focused on putting the nuts and bolts of this center together," Wallis said. "The thrust of all of this is that this region is on the threshold of tremendous growth in expanded health care needs and services because the community is continuing to grow and because demographics are telling all health care providers that we have a curve in the population that are nearing the age of 65."

Wallis said Cox officials decided a centrally located facility where heart patients' needs could be met in one location would best serve heart patients and assist the hospital and Ferrell-Duncan Clinic's physicians with treating those patients.

Ferrell-Duncan cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, vascular surgeons and electrophysiologists will treat patients at the center, according to Ferrell-Duncan Clinic President John Wolfe, MD.

Wallis said the center will eventually house 12 physicians' offices, as well as:

cardiac rehabilitation;

a lipid clinic, which has never before been offered by Cox or Ferrell-Duncan Clinic and will allow more of a preventive approach to heart care, according to Vicki Shuler, Cox's director of cardiovascular services;

a pacemaker clinic;

outpatient infusion therapy;

EKG and stress testing;

ultrasonic and radionuclear imaging;

peripheral vascular services;

diagnostic and therapeutic outpatient cardiac catheterization.

Ferrell-Duncan physicians who will relocate to the heart center will remain independent physicians and will lease their office space from Cox, Wallis said.