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New Port St. Joe Sacred Heart Hospital Construction Continues
06/03/09 - 03:43 PM

WMBB News Department

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Construction continues on a brand new hospital that will serve a Panhandle community.

In Port St. Joe, the doors of the facility were open today for visitors to learn about its features and how it will affect their health care needs.

“We want to help educate the community and work with them so that we can all live a healthier lifestyle,” says Roger Hall, President of Sacred Heart Hospital of Port St. Joe, “Because wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t need a hospital.”

While it would be nice to not need a hospital, residents in and around Port St. Joe have needed one for quite some time, with the nearest one about 45 minutes away.

“This community has to drive a fair distance to be able to get that and we’re excited to be able to bring this facility and be part of the community and make a difference,” Hall says. He led tours through the new facility Wednesday.

The hospital, which is located on a 30-acre site along Highway 98 in Port St. Joe, will have 17 patient rooms, a 24-hour emergency department and surgical services.
“This is certainly state of the art surgery rooms, we will have one of our surgery rooms completely ready on day one.”

It will also boast full diagnostic and laboratory services and a helipad to be used by Sacred Heart’s Regional Air Ambulance.

It will also add around 95 job opportunities to the community, with a payroll of close to $4 million a year.

“It’s a comfort to know they’ll have access to a caring hospital so they don’t have to drive, it’s also jobs. It will help the economic development.”

Hall says the $37 million facility is just like the community: “We have a lot of talent and we have the ability to grow,” he explains.

The expected completion date is December 2009, and the hospital is expected to open in March 2010.