Johnson Memorial Hospital Looks to Future With $42M Project

The new emergency/outpatient facility will replace the original 1947 hospital building on the east side of the campus.

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The chief executive officer of Johnson Memorial Health says the evolution of health care over the past 30 years is behind a $42 million investment. The project, the largest in Johnson Memorial Hospital’s history, will include a new emergency/outpatient services facility and a new rehabilitation center on the Franklin campus. Larry Heydon says an increased focus on outpatient services will be a benefit to patients, providers and payers.

The new emergency/outpatient facility will replace the original 1947 hospital building on the east side of the campus. It will feature services including radiology, laboratory and wellness activities. The rehabilitation center will be built on the undeveloped west end of the campus. Construction is set to begin next year and take three years. It will house physical, speech and occupational therapy and rehabilitation services.

The announcement follows a year-long feasibility study on the project. Heydon tells Inside INdiana Business no tax dollars are being used. He says the expansion will be funded by income that has been set aside over the last several years.

As part of the project, crews will demolish the original Johnson County Memorial Hospital, which now houses administrative offices and other non-clinical departments. Heydon says it is "very difficult to economically heat, cool and maintain a 70-year-old building." He says the system will work to "preserve and relocate as many artifacts and historically-significant items as possible."

Heydon says the upgraded space will "address capacity issues" and allow the system to take advantage of the growth of Johnson County.

Franklin Mayor Joe McGuinness says a state-of-the-art hospital is about more than community health – it can be a talent magnet as well. He says a "vital and robust health care system is critical in attracting new businesses and residents to Franklin and surrounding communities."