CoxHealth breaks ground on new $42 M Monett hospital

May 8, 2019
Vinnie Roberts
On Wednesday, May 1, CoxHealth officially broke ground on their new $42 million facility in Monett. This new facility will be located on Highway 60 east of Lowe’s on the land previously occupied by the Bryce Oaks Golf Club.
The facility will replace the current CoxHealth campus located in the residential district of Monett. This facility has been in use since 1953 and since then, its functionality has outgrown its square footage.
“[We will be] bringing a state-of-the-art building to the already five star patient experience,” said Darren Bass, president of CoxHealth Monett. “We are looking forward to a 'one stop shop' for hospital, clinic, pharmacy and ancillary services. The new location will be a big advantage for growth.”
According to Bass, the new facility will include several expanded services as well as facilities that weren’t previously available to Monett patients.
“We are looking to expand our orthopedic surgeon presence in Monett to full-time allowing more procedures to be done locally,” said Bass. “We will be expanding the size of the emergency department and integrating three primary care offices into one large medical office building. This new medical office building will be home to family practice and specialty services and bring state-of-the-art equipment for surgery, radiology and laboratory.”
Bass also stated that, in addition to expanded services, having a facility designed to suit their needs will also aid staff in the care of patients.
“This new facility will bring a high level of efficiency that we currently do not have with the design and flow of the current hospital,” said Bass.
Regarding the old building, CoxHealth is currently in conversations with several organizations that have an interest in purchasing the facility.
“We are in conversations with several interested parties that have a common vision of enhancing this community with a purposeful plan for the current hospital,” said Bass. “We do not have a solidified plan yet, but are looking forward to being able to announce the plans once the final determination and agreements have been made.”
According to Bass, CoxHealth has been working closely with the community to ensure that the new hospital better serves the community’s needs more adequately than its predecessor.
“We are actively recruiting for a full-time orthopedic surgeon and currently assessing community needs,” said Bass. “We have a community advisory board that works with us to understand what the community needs and wants are.”
The new facility will be 75,000 square feet and will also feature an attached medical office building that will be an additional 27,000 square feet. This will make the total square footage of the new facility over a hundred thousand.
Bass stated that the construction of the facility has been a long time coming with hospital administration facing many challenges along the way.
“CoxHealth purchased the land on E. Hwy. 60 in 2005,” said Bass. “We started ramping up conversations about a new hospital again starting in 2017, and we were thrilled to make the announcement this past December.”
“Becker’s Review reported more than 60 rural hospitals have closed since 2010, 68 percent of which were Critical Access Hospitals like Cox Monett. Facilities in states where Medicaid expansion did not pass, like Missouri, have proven to be at a higher risk. We understand the importance of health care in rural communities. It’s a vital service.”
According to Bass, construction is expected to be completed in November or December 2020 with a tentative move-in date of early 2021.
Bass stated that, despite the larger facility, CoxHealth will not be planning any major staffing changes to accommodate the move.
“We do not anticipate adding staff initially, but will utilize the metrics already in place to determine staffing levels based on volumes and other statistics,” said Bass.
Plans for transferring staff between the two facility have not been made official at this time, but are currently being deliberated, according to Bass.
“We are working with consultants to plan for the move,” said Bass. “All decisions have not been made as of this point, but we will utilize all the tools and strategies to ensure a successful transition for our patients and our staff.”
Citizens looking to donate further to the hospital’s construction fund can still do so. “To position Cox Monett and all it serves for a bright future, a community investment is needed,” said Bass. “Information on the Momentum Campaign can be found at www.coxhealthfoundation.com or people may call Lisa Alexander at (417) 269-7150.”
CoxHealth of Monett will remain operational until it moves to its new location early in 2021. For more information, contact CoxHealth Monett at (417) 235-3144 or online at coxhealth.com.
Vinnie Roberts
On Wednesday, May 1, CoxHealth officially broke ground on their new $42 million facility in Monett. This new facility will be located on Highway 60 east of Lowe’s on the land previously occupied by the Bryce Oaks Golf Club.
The facility will replace the current CoxHealth campus located in the residential district of Monett. This facility has been in use since 1953 and since then, its functionality has outgrown its square footage.
“[We will be] bringing a state-of-the-art building to the already five star patient experience,” said Darren Bass, president of CoxHealth Monett. “We are looking forward to a 'one stop shop' for hospital, clinic, pharmacy and ancillary services. The new location will be a big advantage for growth.”
According to Bass, the new facility will include several expanded services as well as facilities that weren’t previously available to Monett patients.
“We are looking to expand our orthopedic surgeon presence in Monett to full-time allowing more procedures to be done locally,” said Bass. “We will be expanding the size of the emergency department and integrating three primary care offices into one large medical office building. This new medical office building will be home to family practice and specialty services and bring state-of-the-art equipment for surgery, radiology and laboratory.”
Bass also stated that, in addition to expanded services, having a facility designed to suit their needs will also aid staff in the care of patients.
“This new facility will bring a high level of efficiency that we currently do not have with the design and flow of the current hospital,” said Bass.
Regarding the old building, CoxHealth is currently in conversations with several organizations that have an interest in purchasing the facility.
“We are in conversations with several interested parties that have a common vision of enhancing this community with a purposeful plan for the current hospital,” said Bass. “We do not have a solidified plan yet, but are looking forward to being able to announce the plans once the final determination and agreements have been made.”
According to Bass, CoxHealth has been working closely with the community to ensure that the new hospital better serves the community’s needs more adequately than its predecessor.
“We are actively recruiting for a full-time orthopedic surgeon and currently assessing community needs,” said Bass. “We have a community advisory board that works with us to understand what the community needs and wants are.”
The new facility will be 75,000 square feet and will also feature an attached medical office building that will be an additional 27,000 square feet. This will make the total square footage of the new facility over a hundred thousand.
Bass stated that the construction of the facility has been a long time coming with hospital administration facing many challenges along the way.
“CoxHealth purchased the land on E. Hwy. 60 in 2005,” said Bass. “We started ramping up conversations about a new hospital again starting in 2017, and we were thrilled to make the announcement this past December.”
“Becker’s Review reported more than 60 rural hospitals have closed since 2010, 68 percent of which were Critical Access Hospitals like Cox Monett. Facilities in states where Medicaid expansion did not pass, like Missouri, have proven to be at a higher risk. We understand the importance of health care in rural communities. It’s a vital service.”
According to Bass, construction is expected to be completed in November or December 2020 with a tentative move-in date of early 2021.
Bass stated that, despite the larger facility, CoxHealth will not be planning any major staffing changes to accommodate the move.
“We do not anticipate adding staff initially, but will utilize the metrics already in place to determine staffing levels based on volumes and other statistics,” said Bass.
Plans for transferring staff between the two facility have not been made official at this time, but are currently being deliberated, according to Bass.
“We are working with consultants to plan for the move,” said Bass. “All decisions have not been made as of this point, but we will utilize all the tools and strategies to ensure a successful transition for our patients and our staff.”
Citizens looking to donate further to the hospital’s construction fund can still do so. “To position Cox Monett and all it serves for a bright future, a community investment is needed,” said Bass. “Information on the Momentum Campaign can be found at www.coxhealthfoundation.com or people may call Lisa Alexander at (417) 269-7150.”
CoxHealth of Monett will remain operational until it moves to its new location early in 2021. For more information, contact CoxHealth Monett at (417) 235-3144 or online at coxhealth.com.