Published: October 28, 2009 11:16 am      

Hospital expansion to move forward rapidly

“We know how important this project is to the city and county,” Richard Dean, an architect with Dean and Dean, said of the expansion of Montfort Jones Memorial Hospital.

Dean, who was the featured speaker at the 74th annual meeting of the Kosciusko-Attala Development Corporation on Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Oprah Winfrey Boys & Girls Club, said his company was excited about the possibility of creating a “top-of-the-line” facility where the majority of the area’s healthcare needs could be met.

“The board of trustees is committed to moving forward on this project rapidly,” he said. “We know how important it is to work with doctors. We are just now comfortable in getting to meet with them.”

Dean said they felt really good about how the design was shaping up and the ideas were well received.

The proposal is to come up with the ideal mix of new and renovation construction, Dean added.

In other words, “getting the most bang for the buck,” he said.

“We are proposing a two-story addition,” he said.

Some of the changes include: changing the location of the front entrance, a new medical records department, new outpatient clinic (area for outpatient surgeries), two-entrance emergency department with two major trauma rooms and two minor, expand the existing imaging department and laboratory, a community meeting space, expand dining facilities, expand the nursing wing and every patient room will be equipped with showers and bathrooms.