The emergency room expansion at the Warner Hospital in Clinton has been in the works for some time now and the top executive is optimistic it could be complete by the end of the year.
Warner Hospital CEO Paul Skowron indicates the emergency room expansion is one of the top strategic priorities for the facility in the years ahead.
According to Skowron, the size of the emergency room has been an issue and COVID only showed the need for its expansion. Having business offices moved out to the stand-alone building by KFC and McDonald's helped create space for what he describes as "expanding within".
Skowron indicates improvement in the availability of construction supplies as well as an easing of costs on the overall project is bringing the cost projection to around $ 1.5 million or $ 1.6 million.
When the project gets underway, there will be a challenge in ongoing construction while also continuing to maintain a high level of care for incoming patients. Skowron explains if this was a project that could not interrupt business, it would be much quicker, but because of that factor, it will take quite a bit more time.
The expansion of capacity in the ER will allow the city-owned facility to service more people and offer a more convenient outlet for care in central Illinois.
