Hospital groundbreaking today

Hospital groundbreaking today

Special ceremony at Welcome Center for new Baptist facility

news@theeveningtimes.com

The public is invited to today’s official groundbreaking ceremony for the new hospital in Crittenden County, a community left without a local hospital since Crittenden Regional Hospital closed its doors and declared bankruptcy two years ago.

Baptist Memorial Health Care and county officials have set the groundbreaking for the new Baptist hospital, a new $25 million, 50,000-square-foot facility with 20 beds, for 10 a.m.

this morning. The new facility will be located north of Interstate 55 between 7th Street and Hwy. 77 North, the groundbreaking will be just a shade to the east, at the neighboring Arkansas Welcome Center.

“We’re going to have the ceremony inside and then anybody who wants to go over to the actual site we will have a bus to take them over,” said County Judge Woody Wheeless.

Wheeless said he wants everyone to come out and get an early look at where their new major health care provider will be located.

“This will be a big event,” he said. “I want to see the public come out and be a part of it.”

By Mark Randall