Baptist still discussing new hospital

Oxford residents will soon have access to a state-of-the-art hospital. The North Mississippi installation of Baptist Memorial Hospital continues to finalize plans to build a new hospital within city limits. The site selection process is nearing its end as the number of potential sites is narrowed down.
Baptist recently got out of the lease that was supposed to end in 2034 and now owns the current building on South Lamar. This was an important step to further the process of relocating because it is now Baptist’s responsibility to locate new tenants once the building is vacated.
Maggie Miller, community relations coordinator for Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi, is ready for the move to be completed.
“The new hospital will enhance the quality of life of the citizens of Oxford and Lafayette County by supplying them with the latest medical technology at their fingertips,” she said.
Jondi Roberson, director of marketing and provider relations for Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi, describes the importance of the upcoming relocation.
“We have outgrown our current location and are landlocked,” she said. “Being landlocked and not able to expand puts us in a position where we cannot develop as the technology and medical field advances, so our long-range plan is to build a larger, more advanced facility for Oxford and the surrounding area.”
The new hospital building is projected to cost $300 million, and hospital officials anticipate the facility to be finished in 2015. However, there are still many details that need to be decided on for the move to be completed on time. One of the most important decisions that still needs to be made is a new site location.
The hospital is currently looking at four sites for the new location, chosen from the previous 10, all within city limits.
“Baptist will continue to entertain additional options if they are viable,” Roberson said.
Once a location is picked that is within city limits and fits the necessary acreage requirements, the entire process will take an additional three years to complete. After site selection but before building can begin, a Certificate of Need will be filed with the state of Mississippi, and approval is needed before ground can be broken.
“We do not anticipate any problems with getting the CON approved,” Roberson said. “While we are waiting on the CON to be approved, Baptist will be working on preliminary plans for the hospital and the overall footprint.”
Once ground is broken and construction officially begins, Roberson projects the building process to take 24 months.
Baptist has not discussed a plan of action for moving patients, equipment and offices from the old site to the new facility, but once the move is final, Baptist still faces the responsibility of finding new occupants for the current building off South Lamar.
The new hospital will bring many changes for residents in the surrounding areas. It will offer additional services, provide easier access and serve as a way to bring doctors to the Oxford community.
“A larger, more advanced facility will help us keep pace with the rapid growth our area has experienced recently,” Roberson said.  “Right now, crucial areas such as the intensive care unit, the step down unit and the emergency department are routinely at or near capacity, and a larger, more modern hospital will give us more room to serve those in need.”
Residents will not be the only beneficiaries of this development.
“Hopefully with expanded space and state of the art equipment, Baptist will be able to take on more student volunteers that are looking to get experience for medical school,” Hannah Burson, a former volunteer at Baptist, said.
Roberson foresees the development of a new hospital as a step in the right direction for Mississippi health care.
“Our hospital has always been, and will continue to be, a partner in the community,” Roberson said. “We look forward to serving the area with high-quality procedures, advanced technology, premier physicians and innovative health care for decades to come.”