Ninety-five years after the original Clark County Hospital opened on Wainscott Avenue, local and state officials gathered with community members to celebrate the completion of the new Clark Regional Medical Center on Lexington Road.
“Boy, what a project it’s been,” hospital CEO Kathy Love said. “We’ve had incredible partnerships, incredible vision and incredible foresight.”
LifePoint Hospitals purchased Clark Regional Medical Center in May 2010 and construction began in September 2010. The facility is licensed for 100 beds and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, allowing staff to expand medical services.
“It’s not easy to design, build and equip a hospital in 18 months,” Love said.
She thanked staff members and partners for the countless hours of work put into the project, and commended everyone for a job well done.
“We’ve all been doing two jobs to get this done,”¿Love said.
The community has embraced LifePoint and the new hospital, which Clark Regional Medical Center board members have been hoping to see come to fruition for several years, Love said.
“This community and LifePoint really is the perfect marriage,” Love said.
LifePoint CEO Bill Carpenter echoed Love’s words, and added his own thanks to community members and public officials.
“I get to travel around the country and see health care facilities, and I¿want you to know, there aren’t many like this,” Carpenter said. “... I think about those days of negotiating this deal and thinking about what it could be. I think it’s exceeded our expectations.”
Gov. Steve Beshear also was in attendance at the ribbon cutting ceremony, and noted his special appreciation for Clark Regional as a part-time Clark County resident.
“We cannot emphasize enough how critical health care is to the quality of life in this community,” Beshear said.
The governor’s description of the hospital was short, saying only, “Wow.”
“What a wonderful day for the people of Clark County, what a wonderful day for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Thank you for being a part of it,” Beshear said.
State Rep. Donna Mayfield called LifePoint and the new Clark Regional “new neighbors.”
“It is such a thrill to see this come to pass. It’s a great day to be in Clark County,”¿Mayfield said.
The Rev. Melanie Mudge, from Emmanuel Episcopal Church, spoke a blessing over the new hospital, thanking God for a “spirit of healing,” and praying for everyone from doctors and patients to hospital custodians.
Love thanked Mudge and the Emmanuel congregation for any inconveniences the construction caused the church, which sits directly adjacent to the new facility.
“Working together, we can accomplish so much more than we can separately,” Mudge said.
The hospital will officially open to patients at 7 a.m. March 31.
Contact Rachel Parsons at rparsons@winchestersun.com, or follow her on Twitter, @ParsonsRachel.
