Jersey Shore Hospital gets federal loan
JERSEY SHORE — Jersey Shore Hospital officials have announced financial approval for a new patient care facility that will improve health care for the western Lycoming County community.
A $15 million loan from the the U.S. Department of Agriculture will fund the project.
The $15.5 million project entails a surgical center, new inpatient units, a new emergency department and central registration, plus renovations for rehabilitation services and diagnostic laboratory, according to officials.
The surgical center will support inpatient and ambulatory surgery. The radiology department will include basic radiology services, mammography, ultrasound, MRI, multi-slice CT and nuclear medicine.
“This project is a pivotal point in Jersey Shore Hospital’s long history of service to the community,” said hospital CEO Lou Ditzel. “Together with the Susquehanna Valley Rural Health Partners, Jersey Shore Hospital is an important provider in our health delivery system for Lycoming and Clinton counties and the new facility will allow us to continue fulfilling this role well into the future.”
Design plans began in 2002 with groundbreaking for the facility originally scheduled for fall 2004 and later for spring 2005. However, the project has remained on hold until funding was approved, said Ditzel.
Officials have not released a new target date for construction.
“Our architects still have some finalizing to do,” said hospital spokesman Rachel Ulmer. “We will probably have a better idea in the next few months.”
The project also includes more than $2.7 million for replacement of major diagnostic equipment and expansion of telemedicine programs.
Construction has been designed to allow for future growth of the hospital, while using some existing buildings for support services, according to officials. The west, north and east wings of the present hospital, constructed separately between 1951 and 1969, will be demolished over stages to allow for expansion of the new facility.
Ditzel lauded the Department of Agriculture, U.S. Rep. John Peterson, R-Pleasantville, and U.S. Sens. Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum for helping to secure funding.
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