Mirroring metropolitan areas across the U.S., Evansville’s healthcare sector continues to grow, with new developments popping up in all areas of the city and Tri-State. From care for children and seniors to expertise in specialties like vision, orthopedics, and education, the scope of health care in Evansville continues to expand to meet the needs of patients on a regional level. Take a tour through some of the biggest healthcare projects in the area over the last few years, and discover other projects on the horizon.
Transition from St. Mary’s to St. Vincent
In January 2017, it was announced St. Mary’s Health would adopt the St. Vincent name after merging with the organization in 2012. Both already were part of Ascension Health, the largest national nonprofit health system and the world’s largest Catholic health system.
“Adopting the name St. Vincent in 2017 was important to let our community know we are part of a much larger healthcare system in the state with 20 hospital locations,” says St. Vincent Evansville CEO Dan Parod. “Being a part of Ascension, the largest nonprofit health system in the country, allows us to share best practices, which allows our patients to receive a higher quality of care close to home.”
Next year, St. Vincent Evansville will take it a step further by adding the Ascension name and logo to help build a stronger national brand awareness, according to Parod.
Deaconess Midtown Hospital
As the 600 Mary St. campus of Deaconess continued to expand, along with growth at the Gateway campus and development of the Deaconess Clinic Downtown, the organization decided to rename the original hospital on Mary Street. Since August 2017, the location has been known as Deaconess Midtown Hospital on the Deaconess Midtown Campus.
Linda E. White Hospice House
Located on the Deaconess Hospital campus at 611 Harriet St., the $10-million and free-standing Linda E. White Hospice House facility opened in January 2017 to provide inpatient medical services for patients with a terminal illness who need pain management or symptom control. The hospice house has seven patient suites with shell space for an additional seven suites.
Deaconess Clinic Lynch Road
The clinic at the intersection of North Green River Road and Lynch Road (4949 Healthy Way, Ste. A) opened on Aug. 16, 2017, providing increased physician access and convenience for patients living on the northeast side of Evansville. The facility serves as a primary care physician office with lab and imaging services on site.
Deaconess Orthopedic Neuroscience Hospital
The opening of the Deaconess Orthopedic Neuroscience Hospital on May 4, 2018, marked the completion of a $135-million expansion of the Deaconess Gateway campus that began in January 2016.
“This hospital is a continuing example of our commitment to local, exceptional care,” says Shawn McCoy, CEO of Deaconess Health System. “We want current and future Deaconess patients to be able to receive the highest quality of care possible, right here, close to home.”
At the six-story, 215,000-square-foot specialty hospital, patients now are receiving a spectrum of care including inpatient and same-day surgeries and procedures and treatment for acute and ongoing complex conditions at the Ortho Neuro Specialty Clinic.
Stone Family Center for Health Sciences
The scope of health care in Evansville was forever changed by the opening of the Stone Family Center for Health Sciences on Aug. 9, 2018, in Downtown Evansville. A collaborative effort between Indiana University, the University of Southern Indiana, and the University of Evansville, the medical school is the culmination of years of planning to help retain talent in the region through education and programs like the Southwestern Indiana GME Consortium, which brings together Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Indiana; Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center in Jasper, Indiana; and Evansville’s St. Vincent and Deaconess.
“Evansville is like a lot of cities and Indiana is like a lot of other states in that we are seeing a growing shortage of healthcare professionals,” says Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke. “Evansville will continue to benefit in many ways from the Stone Family Center.”
Patricia Browning Stone Sensory Playground
Completed in November 2018, the Patricia Browning Stone Sensory Playground offers outpatient therapy programs for children who are unable to play in a loud, bright area or with other children because of sensory processing disorders (SPD). Each section has components that allow children and their families to work on senses like vision, sound, touch, balance, and socialization.
Talley Eye Institute
In Talley Eye Institute’s new state-of-the-art location, which opened earlier this March at 6149 Columbia St., the institute’s staff and six doctors (plus an additional doctor in Marion, Illinois) are under the same roof. In mid-October, Talley Eye Institute’s neighboring surgery center, Valley Surgery Center, also opened. Whether patients need Lasik, LipiFlow for dry eyes, cataract surgery, or treatment for macular degeneration, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy, they will receive better, more efficient care in the new space.
Ascension St. Vincent Orthopedic Hospital
After breaking ground on the 135,000-square-foot facility in 2017, the Ascension St. Vincent Orthopedic Hospital opened to outpatients on July 22 this year and to inpatients on Aug. 12 at 10388 Warrick Wellness Trail, Newburgh, IN. The hospital is a partnership between St. Vincent Evansville and Tri-State Orthopaedics and works to meet the needs of the region as the area’s only hospital dedicated solely to orthopedic care.
“Orthopedics is one of the areas where there is a growing need,” says John Greaney, vice president of operations for St. Vincent Evansville and administrator of the Ascension St. Vincent Orthopedic Hospital. “It’s what makes for a better place to live and work. This hospital hopefully will attract new professionals to the area, because we want to see this community continue to grow.”
Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital Emergency Room
On Aug. 14 this year, representatives from St. Vincent Evansville and the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, including former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, announced the extension of the children’s hospital brand in the Tri-State at the opening of the new Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital Emergency Room for Children.
“Having Peyton Manning come to Evansville to help make the announcement was very exciting,” says Parod. “We are extremely proud to offer an emergency room just for pediatric patients, which will offer dedicated pediatric providers and a great experience for children and their families.”
While St. Vincent Evansville and Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent have collaborated for years, soon pediatric facilities and services in Evansville and the surrounding area will bear the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital logo, as well as sharing processes, policies, and protocols to enhance the quality of pediatric care across the state.
Ascension St. Vincent YMCA Clinic
In the new Ascension St. Vincent YMCA, which opened this year on Sept. 5, the health system occupies 10,000 square feet across the top and bottom floors, providing a Downtown primary care clinic and a physical, occupational, and speech therapy area for patients and Y members. The first floor is dedicated to primary care, while physical, occupational, and speech therapy spaces are located upstairs.
Encompass Health Deaconess Rehabilitation Hospital
Encompass Health Corporation, formerly HealthSouth Corporation, and Deaconess Health System partnered to open the new inpatient rehabilitation hospital on Sept. 12 this year, which is replacing the HealthSouth Deaconess Rehabilitation Hospital on Covert Avenue. Encompass Health Deaconess Rehabilitation Hospital offers 80 private patient rooms, an on-site therapy gym, advanced technologies, and an in-house pharmacy.
Ronald McDonald House Gateway
Families whose children are receiving treatment on the Deaconess Gateway campus now have a new housing option through the Ronald McDonald House Gateway opened by Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ohio Valley last month on Oct. 15. The home is built within the existing footprint of the hospital and offers 16 rooms, a secure storage space for belongings, an open kitchen, a laundry room, recreation rooms, and a sensory playground. Learn more about the house in the story “New Homecoming” on page 88.
Deaconess Clinic Downtown
Development on the campus of the Stone Family Center for Health Sciences is not quite finished, with the site for the Deaconess Clinic Downtown still under construction and completion expected in the spring of 2020. The facility, at Fifth and Walnut streets, will feature 100,000 square feet of clinic and office space, including primary and specialty care, a new Deaconess Clinic EXPRESS, and 10,000 square feet of clinical research space for the Indiana University School of Medicine-Evansville.
“This modern building has been designed with patient needs — and great patient care — in mind,” says Dr. Allen White, vice president, chief physician administrative officer for Deaconess Clinic. “It’s an exciting time to be part of what’s happening in Downtown Evansville, particularly here in the developing medical district.”
Deaconess Clinics
Two new Deaconess Clinic locations currently are in development to serve patients in northern Vanderburgh County and the southeast side of Evansville. The two primary care facilities will be at North U.S. Highway 41 at Baseline Road and the other at Washington Avenue and Green River Road. Both are set to open in the summer of 2020.
Charles C. Hedde, M.D. Education Center
Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Indiana, began plans and fundraising for the hospital’s Health Education Center at the beginning of 2018. The $2.5-million education center will be used for staff and clinical training, serve as an education center for the residency program through the Southwest Indiana GME Consortium at the Stone Family Center, and be available for community use. The center, which plans to be completed in fall 2020, is named for the late Dr. Charles C. Hedde, who was an integral part of the plan for residency programs in area hospitals.
