COLUMBUS,
Ind. – Franciscan St. Francis Health hopes to formally join the community of
Columbus by building a physician office facility later this year.
“As our health
system expands its role and responsibilities through the new model of health
care into Accountable Care Organizations and population health management, it
is fundamentally sound, efficient and expected that we provide expert resources
in convenient locations for the many populations we serve,” said Robert J.
Brody, Franciscan St. Francis president and chief executive officer. “The
new medical office facility would be a logical extension of that care, and we are heartened by the many positive
comments regarding our consideration of placement of services in the area.”
Plans call
for the renovation of a property at 123 2nd St. on the city’s west
side. The refurbished facility would house two Franciscan St. Francis
physicians, five medical assistants and an office manager. The complex later
could be expanded for use by another physician, an imaging technician and other
medical assistants.
There are a
number of factors that will influence the project’s path, including a
consideration of tax abatement by the community. The first hearing on such
abatement has been postponed for more evaluation.
Franciscan St.
Francis Health has welcomed and treated patients from the Columbus area for
decades, especially in specialties such as heart and cancer care. As it is the
regional tertiary center in the south-central Indiana, the hospital will
provide that care long into the future for those who choose its services and
physicians.
The location
also would provide closer and more convenient access for Columbus-area patients
who frequently are treated at Franciscan St. Francis-Indianapolis at 8111 S. Emerson Ave.
Construction
could get under way as early as spring 2013 with completion expected in late
fall.
