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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is St. Margaret’s building a replacement hospital?
A: Building a new facility affords us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rethink hospital design and to improve the overall convenience and quality of the healthcare we provide. St. Margaret's has built its reputation by promoting and protecting the best interests of our patients' health. The replacement hospital project positions us to remain viable in the future – offering convenient access to healthcare for patients throughout the Illinois Valley, as well as new growth opportunities in services and technology.
Q: Where will the hospital be built?
A: The hospital will be built on a 50-acre site within the city limits of Spring Valley in Bureau County, at the northwest corner of US Route 6 and Dalzell Road, across from St. Bede Academy. It will be a great site for a premier healthcare facility to continue caring for the needs of our patients and communities in the Illinois Valley.
Q: Why was this site chosen?
A: In an emergency situation, easy access can mean the difference between life and death. This location affords easy access from many directions. Also, the size and topography of the new campus will allow us to expand to meet emerging healthcare standards and technology requirements for many, many years to come; whereas, growth is limited in the current land-locked location.
Q: When will construction begin and how long will it take?
A: The best-case scenario is that we will receive approval of our Certificate of Need application from the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board by August 2008. Since we will be working on the planning and design in the interim, site work and construction could begin immediately. Once begun, the construction will last approximately three years.
Q: What is the projected cost of the facility?
A: Including a medical office building and new equipment, we are estimating the total cost to be $90 million.
Q: How will the new facility be financed?
A: St. Margaret’s will fund the project through the issuance of revenue bonds, income from hospital operations and through charitable contributions. We anticipate a capital campaign, in which hospital staff, community residents and businesses will have the opportunity to invest in their future healthcare, while at the same time honoring their loved ones through naming rights at the new facility. These naming rights might be anything from bricks to equipment to entire hospital departments.
Q: What about all the recent renovations to the existing building?
A: The board has been discussing the issue of renovation versus building new for a number of years. Renovation costs continue to go up; yet no matter how much we do, the fact remains that we still have old buildings on a land-locked campus. We have managed to keep up with rapidly advancing healthcare technology in the current facility, but as we look to the future, we have to be open to more cost-effective, efficient options, which will serve our community for the years to come. After much research, we chose to build a new facility versus the continued retrofitting of our current building to meet emerging healthcare standards and technology requirements.
Q: Who will design and build the new facility?
A: The firms who have been hired specialize in hospitals. Matthei & Colin Associates (Chicago) have been appointed as the architectural firm and will design the 200,000 square foot complex. They will work in tandem with the construction firms of Pepper Construction (Chicago) and Mangieri Companies (Peoria) who have been hired to build the facility. We have been assured these companies will give every consideration to the utilization of qualified local businesses, services and union labor.
Q: What will happen to the existing facility?
A: Since the planning and building process will take approximately three years, we have time to pursue viable options for “recycling” the current hospital. It is our hope that it can be used to enhance the community’s economic development.
Q: What will a new hospital mean to the people of the Illinois Valley area?
A: Illinois Valley residents will benefit from an enhanced and modernized hospital. They will undergo medical treatments in a state-of-the art healthcare facility incorporating all of the latest tools in treatment and diagnosis.
Also, a new medical facility is a great recruitment tool to attract the best physicians and medical personnel. Recruiting enough competent staff to handle the influx of patients as baby boomers age will be a problem for all hospitals in future years. St. Margaret’s new facility will offer a competitive recruiting advantage, which translates into means quality care for our patients.
Q: Is there any evidence out there that says a new building is better for medical outcomes?
A: According to Craig Zimring, Ph.D., of Georgia Tech University, who conducted the research analysis for The Center for Health Design, “Evidence-based design is transforming the healthcare environment. We now have at our disposal proven architectural methods for improving patient outcomes, safety, and satisfaction, as well as staff retention and service efficiency.”
“The evidence is overwhelming: The healthcare environment—where care is actually provided and received— has substantial effects on patient health and safety, care efficiency, and staff effectiveness and morale.”
For more information on “Evidence-Based Hospital Design Improves Healthcare Outcomes For Patients, Families and Staff” go to:
http://www.rwjf.org/newsroom/newsreleasesdetail.jsp?productid=21765
Q: What about all the off-campus locations associated with St. Margaret’s? Will they remain in their same locations or move to the new hospital campus?
A: There are no plans to relocate any locations outside the hospital campus.
Q: Who will be making the decisions regarding details of the new facility?
A: There will be input from all levels of the organization. The ultimate decision- making will rest with the administrative team supported by the Sisters, SMP Health System, our own dedicated and committed hospital board and Medical Staff. St. Margaret’s is very fortunate to have an experienced administrative team. In today’s’ world of hospital mergers and takeovers, it is common for administrators to come and go. St. Margaret’s has maintained stability in its leadership team for more than 20 years. President & CEO Tim Muntz has more than 23 years with St. Margaret’s, the past 14 years in his current leadership role. Like Tim, several of his administrative team members have 15-30 years of experience at St. Margaret’s
Illinois Valley residents can take comfort in knowing that this team has a
vast knowledge regarding healthcare and the needs of the region. They’ve lived and worked in the Illinois Valley and raised their families here. The decisions they make will be made in the best interests of their families, friends, neighbors, and co-workers — on behalf of all residents of the Illinois Valley region.
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