St. Francis announces $48 million building expansion at meeting

St. Francis Medical Center will soon begin a $48 million building expansion to accommodate "tremendous growth" the medical center has seen in the past two years, said President and CEO Steven C. Bjelich.

Bjelich revealed the plan Tuesday during the medical center's annual meeting.

The evening began with local Girl Scouts leading the nearly 1,000 attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a choir from Notre Dame High School singing the "Prayer of Saint Francis."

In his report, Bjelich noted three national studies giving high marks to St. Francis.

The medical center was ranked in the top 100 hospitals in stroke care and was given a 5-star rating in orthopedics by healthgrades.com.

The St. Francis heart institute recently published a quality outcome report demonstrating excellent results when compared to national standards set by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

Foundation board president Daniel Essner reported that more than 1,300 individuals and groups this year donated gifts, grants and pledges totaling nearly $420,000.

Bjelich also highlighted key successes in the past year, including reintroducing an obstetrics unit for the first time in 36 years.

St. Francis' neonatal intensive care unit is the only Level III unit of its kind between Memphis and St. Louis. The rating means extremely ill infants can stay close to home, Bjelich said.

A wound healing center, an expanded sleep lab, a PET scanner and a new gastrointestinal lab were also listed among the year's accomplishments.

Future expansion will encompass the outpatient care center; surgery suites; laboratory and radiology, Bjelich said.

"We've actually been working on the plan for almost nine months," Bjelich said. The expansion will predominantly include remodeling existing space, Bjelich said.

abuchanan@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160