The fourth largest employer in Fall River — Saint Anne’s Hospital — is expanding. And that expansion is expected to bring hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars to the local economy. Last week, the hospital broke ground on its new $16.5 million three-story, 24,000 – square-foot-wing addition which will include a breast care center, the relocation and expansion of medical/surgical inpatient and intensive care units, and a new hospital entrance. Smaller projects include a 6,000-foot addition to the emergency department and a 7,000-foot addition to the Hudner Oncology Center, a tripling of the surgical day care unit; and renovations to the radiology department.
Michael Metzler, president of Saint Anne’s Hospital, said the creation of the new facility and renovations are part of the Master Facility Initiative, created in direct response to the increased client demand for specialized and improved outpatient and inpatient services.
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The project will be funded with an $8 million bond from the Caritas Christi Health Care System, Saint Anne’s Hospital’s parent organization, a $5 million capital campaign, and through the hospital fiscal budget for the years 2000 and 2001.
“By carefully stewing our funds,” he said, “Saint Anne’s is fulfilling its commitment to expand facilities and services for our patients. We are fortifying our investment in the Fall River region, and continuing our mission of providing advanced treatment and compassionate care.”
Though Metzler is unsure if the new addition will bring more employment for the hospital itself, he is confident the changes will provide better services for patients.
“Given all the pressure on reimbursements and well managed health care, we really needed to grow to offset those reductions,” he said. “We have to be careful not to add additional costs, but instead run the hospital more efficiently. I do believe the new addition will bring more stability to current jobs at the hospital.”
The addition is quite a turning point for the hospital, which in 1991 suffered a $6.5 million loss in revenue. Every year since joining Caritas Christi, the health care system of the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, in 1994 the hospital has increased its revenue and its bond status has been upgraded to investment.
“This is a great day for the people of Fall River,” said Michael F. Collins, M.D., president and CEO of the Caritas Christi Health Care System at the groundbreaking. “You are in the midst of expansion in an industry that doesn’t often lend itself to expanding. Saint Anne’s has long been on the cutting edge of technology, and now you are on the cutting edge of the health care industry. And in an age where the industry looks at the bottom line as profit, you instead are looking at the bottom line as helping people.”
The total cost of the addition and renovation has risen $2 million since the plan was first announced last February. Wendy Bauer, a hospital spokesperson said the increase in costs associated with the new construction is due mainly to a strong economy.
Bond Brothers Inc. of Everett, Mass was awarded the contract to construct the new wing. Bauer said part of the agreement included using as many local suppliers, subcontractors, and workers as possible.
We have a real commitment to our community,” she said. “We wanted this construction to help the entire community and not just the hospital.”
According to Bauer, Bond Brothers is expecting to spend close to $10.5 million in material and labor for the project, which is scheduled over a 70-week period. Fifty-one percent of the $10 million will be labor costs, 46 percent for material and the remaining 3 percent will be spent on permits and fees.
During the peak of construction, the contractor expects to have close to 80 workers on site,” she said. “And over the course of the entire project he expects to have several hundred.”
So far, the capital campaign has raised over $2 million dollars and the fundraising is expected to continue for the next 24 months. The project is slated to be completed in the spring of 2001.
