After a nearly three-year process, Marion Health East’s Innovation and Medical Campus in Gas City officially opened its services on Monday. On Sept. 15, the hospital hosted an open house, signaling its grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony and building tours.
Complete with its four-floor facility and 120 acre property, Marion Health East’s campus was designed with intentions for future growth and development, Stephanie Hilton-Siebert, president and CEO of Marion Health, said.
Marion Health East functions as an expansion of services from Marion General Hospital (MGH) with a current focus on outpatient services. Healthcare services available at the new location will include an emergency department, urgent care, radiology, multi-speciality care, full laboratory services, therapy, preventative care, surgery and more, Hilton-Siebert said.
Some of the newest medical technology, such as Da Vinci Robotic Surgical Systems, will be available at the site.
The facility hosts 13 beds for inpatient services. However, some higher-acuity patients requiring services such as an intensive care unit may need to find care at MGH, Hilton-Siebert said.
Marion Health East serves the 30 percent of the population who previously went to MGH for emergency needs, allowing for faster care, Tim Dailey, chairman of the board for Marion Health, said.
When researching grants, Hilton-Siebert said she noticed two areas in the state were recognized as “distressed” — one of those two is the community Marion Health East occupies.
“[The idea] really was a strategy to provide access to health care,” Hilton-Siebert said.
The new campus is fully funded by Marion Health, Hilton-Siebert said.
In the early stages of Marion Health East’s conception, Marion Health conducted a market analysis to identify the best location for the hospital. They found that the campus’ current setting would be able to have a regional impact, particularly because of its placement along Interstate 69.
“Even throughout [Indiana], there's over 100 miles in which there's not a healthcare facility located along the interstate,” Hilton-Siebert said. “So for those people who are traveling, it also is going to be for those emergent needs.”
Marion Health East will service not just the local community, but also the greater region, and those traveling on I-69.
“This [new hospital] is really going to enhance the emergency services we are able to have,” Grant County Commissioner Steve Wright said. “Grant County does have our Emergency Management Services (EMS). We have ambulances all over the county, but to have the hospital that close to the southern part of our area — every minute is critical when it comes to an extensive injury.”
Additionally, the market analysis revealed other needs in the community such as a lack of population growth and an increase in people using charity care or Medicaid. Alongside access, Marion Health wanted to impact the local economy, Hilton-Siebert said.
Gas City Mayor Bill Rock said the city recently purchased 189 acres, approximately one mile west of the new hospital. The location will host 200 new homes, assisting in residential needs of any Marion Health East employees, Rock said.
Marion Health’s new campus will also play a role in university collaborations and in training new physicians in the facility’s residency program.
The first organization for healthcare was established 128 years ago, and MGH’s main hospital was built in 1917, Hilton-Siebert said.
Prior to Marion Health East’s official opening, rumors circulated throughout the community regarding reasons for the hospital’s delayed opening timeline.
“I don't think people realize, whenever you build a hospital, what goes into it,” Hilton-Siebert said. “It is not the same as just building a house or building a business — that's not health care. There's so many more regulations and items that we have to put into place. All those things take time. If you need to have surgery, we want to make sure we've taken the extra time to have everything that we need [for] that.”
Approval from entities and organizations such as the State of Indiana, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), Medicare and insurance companies impacted the hospital’s opening date, Dailey said.
Dailey also dispelled many of the rumors and explained that while certain technical and construction changes needed to take place during the process, none of such had endangered the facility’s capability of eventually opening, he said.
“There's just so much that goes into this type of facility to make it the best it can be,” Dailey said. “We feel like this is the best rural hospital in the whole state of Indiana, by far.”
The facility’s fourth floor is not yet occupied; however, its vacancy will allow Marion Health to service it according to changes or growth within the local area, Dailey said.
“We'll just continue to grow and to serve our community,” Hilton-Siebert said. “That's why we exist — to see everybody from all walks of life, and have a very unique perspective into the community with being able to do that.”
