JOPLIN, Mo. —
The site and design for a new St. John’s Regional Medical Center are to be ready by December.
Gary Pulsipher, president of St. John’s, on Monday said that is the goal that has been set by Lynn Britton, president of Mercy Health System.
“If we can find a site, get the land purchased and the design ready, the board (of directors) of Mercy will act on that during its December board meeting,” Pulsipher said. “That means we could start turning soil in January.”
It is estimated that construction of the new St. John’s will take 2 1/2 years.
Pulsipher said a site search committee has been formed. He said the hospital has been contacted by about 50 people who have land for sale, including sites with up to 300 acres. He said it is likely that the new St. John’s will need about 70 acres, which is about the size of its existing property along McClelland Boulevard.
Pulsipher said it is unlikely that the new St. John’s will be built near its present site. He said it was a miracle that the May 22 tornado did not affect both St. John’s and Freeman Hospital West because of their proximity. He said there should be more distance between the two.
He said a demographic study, not unlike those used by retailers when they decide to locate in a community, will be used to help select a new site. The study will look at traffic flow and population trends, among other things.
He said residents of the community will be asked where they would like the new hospital to be and what kind of hospital they would like to see built.
In the meantime, St. John’s is operating out of a mobile medical unit east of the existing medical center. Pulsipher said the mobile hospital has 20 patients. More serious cases are being transferred to St. John’s Regional Health Center in Springfield and to Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kan.
The mobile medical unit, Pulsipher said, will be replaced by a second-stage hospital within a few months.
“This will be a component hospital,” he said. “It will be made of structural steel. It will take four months to get it up and running. It will serve as our hospital for the 2 1/2 years that it will take to construct the new one.”
Pulsipher said a team from Joplin will travel to Riverside, Calif., where a component hospital is operating. He said the builder of that hospital could be the builder of the component hospital in Joplin.
St. John’s will continue to use the Holiday Inn Convention Center as its base of operations until next month. It hopes to have another office space located by then.
As for the old structure, Pulsipher said a decision about its demolition has not been made. He said it likely will be torn down. He said structural engineers have determined that some of the supports for St. John’s have been stressed.
Still out
GARY PULSIPHER, president of St. John’s Regional Medical Center, said he has been unable to confirm reports that the structure was moved four inches off its foundation by the EF-5 tornado May 22.
May 2011 Joplin tornado
St. John’s slates tentative time frame for rebuilding
- May 2011 Joplin tornado
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FACES OF RECOVERY: 176,869 volunteers help put Joplin together again
They initially came in droves, pouring into Joplin by the thousands during the months following the May 2011 tornado to clear debris, clean up damaged homes and businesses and distribute donations of food, water, clothing and other necessities.
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SLIDESHOW: One year later, One day of unity, updated
Photos from a day of events commemorating the May 22, 2011 tornado anniversary
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Therapy dogs
Any question that Louie was bred to put people as ease is put to rest when the golden retriever trots over to where a visitor sits and puts his head on their knee, the dog’s eyes filled with a gentle affection.
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Nova Kluseman and Jeanne Morrow
Nova Kluseman has staked her claim on Wednesdays at the Mercy medical office clinics where she volunteers. The staff at Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri will know it’s Thursday when they see Jeanne Morrow walk through the door.
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Greentree Community Church
Every two months, Joplin plays host to some now-familiar faces. They’re members of Greentree Community Church in St. Louis, and they have “adopted” the city as one of their mission projects since the tornado.
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Virginia Laas
Virginia Laas isn’t an accountant or bookkeeper by trade. But when the tornado caused significant damage to Joplin Schools, and subsequently spurred a massive landslide of donations to the district, Laas voluntarily stepped into those roles to fill a need that administrators were too busy to handle.
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Rebecca Williams
Two years after the tornado, Rebecca Williams remains committed to helping people around the world keep up with the progress that has been made in Joplin.
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Community Outreach Team
While it didn’t yet have a formal name, the seeds of Freeman Health System’s Community Outreach Team were planted in the hours following the tornado.
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Jewish Disaster Response Corps
“Tikkun olam” is Hebrew for “repairing the world,” and the concept — of service to others, of helping those in need — is prevalent in Judaism.
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Dorothy Maples
Dorothy Maples always felt a calling to volunteer, whether it was participating in a fundraiser or giving a hand to help someone in need.
- More May 2011 Joplin tornado Headlines
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