Groundbreaking Marks Main Thrust Of Blodgett Hospital Expansion

New Patient Care Facility Centerpiece of $98 Million Project

Spectrum Health officials, community leaders, physicians, staff and volunteers came together today to break ground on a new patient care facility at Blodgett Hospital. The five story building is the centerpiece of a $98 million reinvestment in the hospital.

The 162,000-square-foot, five story addition will include four patient care floors and one floor dedicated to mechanical equipment. The addition will house 131 patient rooms plus operating rooms and will be adjacent to the building facing Wealthy Street.

When renovations are completed in 2010, Blodgett Hospital will house 284 private rooms along with many other improvements.

“Today marks a big step in our plans to revitalize Blodgett Hospital and continue its legacy of quality care in this community,” said Matt Van Vranken, executive vice president, Spectrum Health and president, Spectrum Health Hospital Group. “This state-of-the-art addition allows us to convert all of Blodgett to private rooms and our renovations throughout the facility integrate today’s technology for patient care. Blodgett represents the best in community-based care and will for generations to come.”

Some work has already begun. One nursing unit has been completely renovated and work is underway for upgrading the fire sprinkling system. The driveway off of Wealthy Street has been moved to accommodate construction on the new addition.

Other features of the Blodgett Hospital expansion and renovation include:

A total of 14 state-of-the-art operating rooms (ORs)
- Space for eight new ORs will be built in the new addition
- The current 14 operating rooms will be renovated to create 10 larger ORs to accommodate advanced medical equipment; four of these will remain unfinished for future needs
Six inpatient nursing units will be renovated
Older, smaller inpatient rooms will be converted to 75,000 square feet of future office/multipurpose space
Infrastructure systems will be completely overhauled for optimal performance today and growth capacity for the future
Existing parking ramp will be renovated and repaired
Renovation of key service and public areas including kitchen, cafeteria, entrance, lobby and public meeting spaces

An expansion of patient services is a significant part of the plan. A heart catheterization lab has been opened. It will be used primarily for diagnostic purposes for inpatients at the hospital. A 64-slice CT has been added for cardiac imaging.

“It’s exciting to see our facility undergo these changes to meet the needs of our patients and community,” said Jim Wilson, president, Blodgett Hospital. “We are building on a great heritage. These enhancements will enable us to continue delivering high-quality care and award winning services.”

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system in West Michigan that offers a full continuum of care through its seven hospitals, more than 140 service sites and 500,000-member health plan, Priority Health. Spectrum Health’s 14,000 employees, 1,500 medical staff members and 2,000 volunteers are committed to delivering the highest quality care to those in medical need. The organization provided $98.6 million in community benefit during its 2007 fiscal year. Spectrum Health has earned nearly 70 national awards during the past 10 years.