CEO: New Crown Point Hospital ‘A Big Step Up’
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(photo courtesy of Franciscan Health)
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(photo courtesy of Franciscan Health)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe chief executive officer of Franciscan Health Crown Point says a new $200 million hospital will bring enhanced access to healthcare in south Lake County and neighboring communities. Officials broke ground Thursday on the new facility, which will serve as the centerpiece of a more than 500-acre development near I-65 and U.S. 231. Dr. Daniel McCormick says the vision for the project includes an expanded comprehensive medical and educational center for the area.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, McCormick said the goal is to move to a regional medical center mindset.
“And that’s a big step up for performance both of the hospital and to the community,” said McCormick. “The expectations will be and should be that we will be able to provide services if you come to the facility. Right now, I think that that’s sometimes a challenge in our market and we see a lot of patients having to be moved around either northwest Indiana or into Chicago or down to Indianapolis. We hope to be able to minimize that.”
McCormick says the location for the new hospital is optimal, especially as population density drops further to the south and east. He says healthcare is changing rapidly and many services the hospital used to provide are moving to outpatient centers, which he expects to continue over the next decade.
“That leaves the hospital really there to manage those, what I call, hyper-acute cases, meaning cases where you have absolutely no choice but to get to the nearest hospital such as stroke, cardiovascular disease and trauma,” said McCormick. “Those types of cases and that type of care needs to be much more accessible than our current facility.”
McCormick adds the current Franciscan Crown Point hospital is nearly 50 years old and trying to retrofit or repair it would be not be cost effective for the health system.
The new hospital is expected to open in the fall of 2023. Franciscan Health says it is exploring future uses for the current facility once the new hospital is operational.
The hospital is part of an overall project that also includes the expansion of Franciscan Health Franciscan Point, as well as the expansion of the University of Saint Francis campus.
The project will also feature space dedicated to residential and commercial use, as well as a potential new high school from the Gary Diocese Schools.
McCormick says the goal is to move from a medium-sized community hospital mindset to a regional medical center mindset.