La Porte Hospital Officials Announce Site Selection for New Hospital

La Porte Hospital Officials Announce Site Selection for New Hospital

La Porte Hospital will be building a new $125 million hospital at its current site in downtown La Porte, officials announced today. The site selection announcement came after a thorough vetting of more than 20 locations throughout the county over the last year, and included input from building professionals, community leaders, hospital staff, physicians, and board members.

Groundbreaking is expected in early 2018, with a grand opening in 2020.

“La Porte Hospital staff and physicians are deeply committed to having a thriving community hospital, and we are excited to announce this major step forward. The site selection process was comprehensive, and we are confident that 1007 Lincolnway is the ideal location for us to be able to continue to provide high quality, compassionate acute care to the communities we serve,” said Ashley Dickinson, CEO of La Porte Hospital.

Dickinson said factors considered in the site evaluation included suitability of land, traffic patterns, ease of access, proximity to the newest EMS station, central accessibility for the communities served by the hospital, visibility, and economic development and vitality.

“As a board, it was important for us to select a site that would best serve our community. We believe this decision marks an important milestone in the future of healthcare for La Porte, while it also honors the legacy of healthcare innovation that precedes us,” said Mark Kosior, chairman of the La Porte Hospital Board of Trustees. Fifty years ago this month, Ben Bortz announced a hospital would be built at 1007 Lincolnway, where the current La Porte Hospital stands today.

While renderings and full-scale details are still being finalized, Kosior said the community can expect a five-story building of about 200,000 square feet. “The hospital will be designed to accommodate future growth, and will include a medical office building as well,” he said.

The current hospital will continue to operate while the new one is being constructed, and details including renderings and designs, will be released as they are finalized.

“Building this new hospital at the current location is significant for downtown La Porte,” said La Porte Mayor Blair Milo. “The hospital has long been an anchor for downtown activity, and remains a viable part of our physical and economic health and wellbeing of our community. The City of La Porte looks forward to working with La Porte Hospital to see the project to fruition.”

Dickinson said that new hospitals tend to be a positive influence in recruiting new physicians and nurses to a community. “Doctors and nurses want to work in facilities with leading-edge technology and spaces that have been designed to deliver healthcare in innovative ways. We expect to build a hospital that will keep the patient experience top of mind, so we will seek input from staff along the way to ensure workflow meets their needs for delivering safe, quality care,” Dickinson said.

Bert Cook, director of the Greater La Porte Economic Development Corporation, said the new development will reflect favorably on the economic climate in the county.

“Any time you can show that new construction and state-of-the-art facilities are part of your downtown landscape, you’re contributing to positive economic growth. We’ll be able to showcase the new hospital as a bright development and look forward to featuring the project as a win for our community in the next two years.”

A special section of the hospital website is dedicated to the hospital construction – newlaportehospital.com – and will feature construction updates, facts and figures, and frequently asked questions, including a place for community members to submit questions.