February 1999
SAINT JOSEPH'S MEDICAL CENTER - PLYMOUTH CAMPUS
The Next Level of Care
Saint Joseph's Regional Medical Center - Plymouth Campus is undergoing several transformations, some are more visible than others. But every change is designed with the people of Plymouth, Marshall County and the surrounding communities in mind.
The Cancer Institute is scheduled for a May opening.
Saint Joseph's is a full-service, 58 bed hospital with a level of sophistication that will surprise you. That is one reason why the name changed from Saint Joseph's Hospital to Saint Joseph's Regional Medical Center. The technology has advanced the facility to the next level of care.
And an even higher level of care is on the horizon. Saint Joseph's Cancer Institute is currently under construction and should be ready for occupancy by May. The facility will be one of the few sites in Indiana that will house both radiation and medical oncology disciplines under one roof. It is designed with the comfort of both the patients and their families in mind.
Other construction projects underway include the expansion of the cardiopulmonary department and pharmacy. Radiology has also added new pieces of equipment to compliment the Cancer Institute and the year-old MRI Center. And the laboratory's level of sophistication has increased to keep pace with the 170,000 procedures its staff now does annually.
The hospital's medical staff has expanded to include the fields of obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, internal medicine, cardiology, oncology, urology, opthamology, pain and rehabilitation medicine and other specialties. And Saint Joseph's has increased the number of family practice physicians as well to handle the community's growing population.
Yet, for all the hospital's sophistication, the first concern always is with people, the patients and their families. That is why construction of the Saint Joseph's Health Center will begin later this month. The Health Center is designed to offer people not covered by traditional health insurance plans, Medicaid or Medicare a place to receive timely, professional treatment.
Recent studies show that nearly 6,000 people are not covered by insurance in Marshall County. The Health Center's opening in May will help relieve that burden, providing all the services of a traditional family practice. There will also be an on-site pharmacy. It will be located at 116 E. Washington St., Plymouth.
The renovation of the building is being done through a cooperative effort of the City of Plymouth. The City applied and received a $185,000 grant to modernize the building on Saint Joseph's behalf. The funds came from the Community Focus Fund grant from the Indiana Department of Commerce. Tom McKenna, the IDOC's director will be visiting the site on February 17th to look over the project.
To assist in the operation of the facility, an annual benefit gala is being held. This year the event will be held on Saturday, June 4th. Over $28,000 was raised from the first gala last year. More information on this year's event will be released in the near future.
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