CEO Update: A 2024 timeline for expansion progress

Citizens Memorial is going to have a great year in 2024. We have a lot of projects ahead, but none as big as our construction project with our hospital expansion.

When I think about all we’re going to be able to offer in this new building — the increased access to our emergency room, private patient rooms in the hospital, adequate surgery space and so much more —the $100 million expansion is a significant project not only for CMH, but for Bolivar and our surrounding communities.

Here is a rundown of what to expect with the expansion in 2024.

Temporary Closures

Expected timeline: Ongoing.

What’s happening: We recently had to close down parking lots and do some site work to prepare for the project bidding. We were drilling to get a good idea for the foundation underneath the building and the kind of support needed for the new tower. When we put out the bids, we will have a good, accurate reflection of the cost associated with the tower support. We’ve also been working on utility relocation. We will sometimes have to close portions of parking lots or entrances to do some prep work.

New Parking Spaces

Expected timeline: Finished by March.

What’s happening: Construction will displace parking spots on the hospital’s south side. Two new parking lots will replace almost all the parking spaces in the closed lots.

• The temporary lot south of the Cancer Center is already open. Hospital employees will use that lot during construction.
• We’re adding two rows of parking onto the north side of the hospital parking lot.

Office Relocations

Expected timeline: January-early April.

What’s happening: We have several offices that need to relocate. Demolition of the old HR building will be part of the excavation right before we start building the tower. Some offices also need to relocate within the hospital.

• The Public Safety Office will move to the hospital.
• The air ambulance flight crew will move to a new location just south of the hospital campus.
• The Quality Department is relocating to the old Vision Source building downtown.
• Patient Accounts and Patient Access employees at the hospital are moving to the Broadway Professional Building.
• Nutritional Services offices will move closer to the north side of the hospital.

Cafeteria Relocation

Expected timeline: April.

What’s happening: The cafeteria has to relocate, and that’s a significant move for us. We’re setting up a temporary kitchen on the north side of the hospital. The community rooms will provide dining space. The relocation includes:

• Setting up the temporary kitchen and preparing rooms for dining space.
• Preparing a community room space in the Lime Bank building where CMH can continue catering services for our civic organizations and provide additional meeting room space for large CMH meetings. We will begin using that space in February.

Building Demolitions

Expected timeline: May.

What’s happening: The old HR building is coming down to make room for parking in front of the new hospital entrance. Then we will demolish the current cafeteria area. The tower will connect to the hallway that’s directly behind the cafeteria. We will be in a construction zone from that point on for the next few years.

Expansion Construction

Expected timeline: Beginning Summer 2024.

What’s happening: Excavation work begins in summer 2024. The actual construction of the tower itself should start before the end of the year.

Construction will take close to three years. It’s a long project, so please be patient with us. Especially as we move to construction, there’s going to be a need for patience and flexibility.

When the building is finished, it’s going to be really nice for our patients, staff and community.

Michael Calhoun shares the latest happenings at CMH in his monthly CEO Updates. He is the CEO/executive director of CMH and the Citizens Memorial Health Care Foundation.