View photos of St. Francis-Mooresville

Expanded services open today at St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville. Images of the facilities and Wednesday's blessing and dedication can be found at the St. Francis News Center.

Members of the media are authorized to use these images by giving credit of "Photo courtesy of St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers." To download a high-resolution image, click on the individual photo.If you have questions or require a larger image, please contact Joe Stuteville.

• Images of St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville
• Photos from Mooresville blessing and dedication
  

Planning continues for hospital’s future Emergency Department

An Emergency Department is scheduled to open at St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville in October 2008.

St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville continues to recruit the full complement of physicians, specialists and nurses required to staff the future full-service Emergency Department.

"We realize community members are eagerly awaiting the opening of our Emergency Department later this year," said Keith Jewell, senior vice president and chief operating officer, St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers. "Residents who live in northern Morgan County currently have to travel more than 15 miles to receive emergency services. When St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville’s Emergency Department opens later this year, it will provide community members high-quality emergency care close to home, as well as peace of mind."

The hospital continues to offer high-quality urgent care services through PromptMed, which treated almost 20,000 patients in 2007.

Enhancing the inpatient experience with modern private rooms

The new orthopaedic and adult inpatient nursing units at St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville offer private patient rooms, modern conveniences and the latest technology for patients and the medical team.

"Patients deserve and expect modern and peaceful environments during their hospital stay," said Keith Jewell, senior vice president and chief operating officer, St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers. "Our new private patient rooms were designed with both patients and their family members in mind, as we know that the support of loved ones is critical during the recovery process."

Each inpatient room is equipped with two flat-screen televisions, a sofa that converts to a bed for an overnight guest, a desk and wireless Internet connectivity. Additionally, careful consideration was given to the views from patient rooms, and two large rooftop gardens are visible from many of the rooms to help promote a healing environment.

Physicians and medical staff have access to wireless communication technology and bedside charting for improved caregiver communication and efficiency. Patient care stations are located outside patient rooms in addition to centralized nursing stations, enabling physicians and nurses to perform their responsibilities closer to the patient.

The hospital’s current inpatient units will be converted into a convent for the Sisters of St. Francis. The building that formerly housed the hospital’s operating rooms will be demolished this summer to create additional parking for the new medical office building that is under construction.

Community Open House Set for April 19

Before St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville officially opens the doors to the hospital campus’ largest-ever expansion, community members are invited to a sneak preview community health event.

There is much to see inside the new, expansive inpatient building, including modern and private patient rooms and the most advanced surgery suite technology.

As a fun community health activity, guests will be given a pedometer when they arrive and will be asked to report back their number of steps taken during the event.

The event also includes:

• a coloring page prize drawing for children
• healthy snacks
• giveaways
• Cholesterol testing
• Blood pressure testing
• Height, weight and body mass index (BMI) screening
• Bone density testing
• Lymphoedema screening
• Proper hand washing
• Tai Chi demonstration
• Information on various other St. Francis services and programs

When: Saturday, April 19, 200811 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Where: New Main Lobby Gallery, St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville, 1201 Hadley Road

Cost: Free and open to the public; no reservation required

Coming together

Much progress is being made on our expansion construction as the April 21 opening date nears.

The terre cotta floor in the main atrium is now in place. Patient rooms are essentially completed, as are the new eight-bed Intensive Care Unit and the nursing stations. The six new operating suites are nearly complete, and much of the state-of-the-art equipment is in place. Furniture should be installed toward the end of this month.

The expanded campus, growing from 258,000 to about 400,000 square feet, includes new technology upgrades, high-tech surgery suites, spacious and private patient rooms and additional services that will enable the hospital to enhance overall patient care.

Get a sneak peak at the new facility on Saturday, April 19.
Join us for our grand opening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and see what we’ve been up to. Be among the first to take a tour of our new facility — and participate in the special events that will be taking place that day, including several free health screenings.

Key expansion highlights

• New 30-bed adult inpatient nursing unit dedicated exclusively to orthopaedic patients, featuring spacious, private rooms with scenic views.
• New 18-bed adult inpatient general nursing unit, also featuring private rooms.
• Modernized patient rooms accommodate wireless technology, bedside charting and other technology for improved caregiver communication and efficiency.
• Two flat-screen televisions in each patient room — one for the patient and one for visitors.
• Patient care stations for every four to six patient rooms, in addition to the centralized nursing center, enabling caregivers to be closer to the patient.
• Free Wi-Fi throughout the campus.
• Six new state-of-the-art operating room suites, equipped with video-conferencing capabilities, cameras for adding photo and video files to patients’ charts and a central sterilization department.
• New eight-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
• New Emergency Department with more than a dozen rooms, including two trauma rooms, seven treatment rooms and a decontamination room (opening later in 2008).
• Expansion of the existing PromptMed urgent care center.
• New medical office building for the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery that will house physician offices, a new physical therapy department and other outpatient ancillary services.
• Expansion and complete renovation of Laboratory Services.
• Expanded respiratory therapy services.
• A three-story lobby and atrium that will include family waiting, coffee shop and gift shop.
• Large rooftop gardens visible from patient rooms and other areas of the expansion designed to create a calming, healing space for patients and visitors.

Live online discussion set for Monday

UPDATED 12/17/07: View the chat transcript online.

On Monday, Dec. 17, from 2 to 3 p.m., Larry Heydon, St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville executive director, will be on-deck to take readers' questions on the Martinsville Reporter-Times Web site (http://www.reporter-times.com/).

Please send questions for Larry now to bculp@reportert.com, or you can weigh in with your questions at the time of the live chat.

St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville Video Update

Get a sneak peak at changes coming to Morgan County.

Star reporter tours expansion site

Mooresville Hospital Executive Directory Larry Heydon describes expansion plans to Indianapolis Star reporter Bruce Smith. They are standing in one of six large state-of-the-art operating suites that are part of the new construction. The new operating rooms will include video- and audio-conferencing capabilities so that select surgeries can be viewed by other physicians and medical students.

Mooresville Reporter Times: ER comes to northern Morgan County

Morgan County Reporter-Times Mooresville editor Amy Hillenburg wrote in Sunday's paper about the coming expansion of the St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville campus. Much of the expanded hospital will open in April 2008, with the emergency room services opening later in the year.

The new emergency room will feature more than a dozen exam rooms and will be staffed by the physicians of Emergency Physicians of Indianapolis.

Other features of the expanded hospital discussed in Hillenburg's article include:

• an eight-room Intensive Care Unit (ICU).


• a 27-bed surgical unit.


• a 30-bed orthopaedic unit.


• six new operating room suites (pictured at right). (Above right is the preop area. The day of surgery the patient is first taken to this area and prepared for surgery.)


• rooftop gardens.


• a renovated cafeteria.


• a new gift shop and coffee stand.

St. Francis-Mooresville Expansion Project Continues

Fifteen months into the new $42 million expansion project at St. Francis Hospital – Mooresville, the project is a hive of activity, and on schedule to be completed in the spring 2008, with the Emergency Department opening later in the year.

Construction crews are working on various stages through out the new building including:

• laying exterior brick and limestone
• painting
• installing window glass, drywall and light fixtures
• laying the roof shingles
• completing HVAC piping.

The new operating suites and patient rooms are taking shape, and new rooftop gardens areas are being prepared to accept containers for soil.

The main “boulevard,” which stretches from the main entrance into the heart of the hospital, is filled with sunlight from the skylights. This new corridor provides easy access to a variety of services. The main hall is flanked on the north with a gift shop and coffee café, surgery waiting area and lab, while the southside provides easy access to admitting, radiology and the new offices for the Indiana Heart Physicians.

“There is a wonderful sense of optimism and energy here. We are proud to be an active partner in the community and to continue to provide high quality patient care,” said Larry Heydon, executive director of St. Francis Hospital – Mooresville. “This project is a healthcare investment into the local area and will allow residents to receive additional high-quality services close to home.”

Hospital exterior in progress

Construction crews pour cement near the new main entrance to the Mooresville hospital.

Intensive Care Unit (ICU) making progress

Drywall is installed and some furniture is in place in the new 8-bed intensive care unit (ICU) at St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville.