By Lori Ehde
Sioux Valley and Luverne Community Hospital announced plans Tuesday to construct a new hospital and medical clinic building in or near the city of Luverne.
The feasibility of the new construction is contingent on the sale or disposition of the current medical facility on East Luverne Street, according to a statement released Tuesday afternoon.
The announcement came on the heels of the Rock County Board of Commissioners approval Tuesday of a resolution to work with the city of Luverne and Sioux Valley to consider alternative uses for the current facility.
The city of Luverne will consider a similar resolution at the next regular council meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Sioux Valley Hospitals and Health System, which owns the Luverne hospital, is working with the Luverne Advisory Board on the project.
Background
The option for new construction on a new location was just one of several options the hospital’s been considering to bring its facility up to date.
Increasing numbers of patients are utilizing services such as physical therapy, outpatient infusion, chemotherapy, respiratory care, laboratory services and more.
According to hospital administrator Gerald Carl, the current buildings are not well-suited to accommodate those services.
Further, inpatient rooms are outdated, lacking amenities such as personal showers, which have become standard in most hospitals.
In April, Sioux Valley hired an architect to study the pros and cons of renovating versus expanding. In July, that study yielded three possible options to pursue:
•Renovate and expand the present hospital and clinic on their existing campus.
•Build a new hospital on the parking lot to the north and expand and renovate the clinic in its current location. This option would include closing Brown Street and new space for parking would need to be addressed.
•Build a new hospital and clinic facility on a completely different site.
Since then, the third option has become the most attractive.
Still many unknowns
At this point, the only concrete decision is to build new on a new location.
Carl and Sioux Valley executives said two, possibly three locations are under consideration and negotiations are in process with landowners.
The size of the campus and the new facility will be determined by the hospital's budget considerations.
“What we want and what we can afford are still two different things,” Carl said Tuesday.
He was also unable to answer whether the new facility would offer additional services that would generate new jobs in the community.
All that aside, Greg Burger, president of the Rock County Development Corporation, said the new facility alone is good for the community.
“The opportunity to have a new healthcare facility in Luverne would be an asset to the people of Rock County,” he said. “When businesses want to relocate, the availability of good healthcare can be a deciding factor.”
Ed Weiland, president of Sioux Valley Regional Health Services, thanked the city and county for agreeing to work cooperatively on the project.
“More space and an updated infrastructure will make it possible to offer more services to the people who make Rock County their home,” he said.