Franciscan Health and Beacon Health System have announced plans to build a small acute care hospital equipped with a 24-hour Emergency Department in LaPorte, IN, adding to the I Street campus where Beacon Medical Group is currently located, according to Franciscan and Beacon Health officials. The project includes approximately 28,000 square feet of new construction and a 19,000 square foot renovation of the current space. When completed, the entire facility will include 92,500 square feet of space. The new facility will be named Franciscan Beacon Hospital. It will include a full-service,10-bed emergency department, eight inpatient beds, laboratory services and telehealth connectivity, as well as state-of-the-art imaging and diagnostic equipment.
“This is going to be an incredible, high-quality option for hospital services and outpatient imaging in LaPorte County,” said Dean Mazzoni, Franciscan Health Michigan City president and CEO. “We intend to provide the citizens of LaPorte County excellent health care close to home.”
In addition to the $21.6 million project, Franciscan Health physicians and specialists will join Beacon Health physicians on the campus. Currently both Beacon and Franciscan Health physicians serve a large number of patients from the area.
“While this facility is a new model of care in the region, smaller footprint hospitals are opening all across the country,” said Kreg Gruber, Beacon’s chief executive officer. “These types of facilities, like Beacon Granger Hospital slated to open in the summer of 2019, are designed to meet the needs of patients when and where they need it. They provide a smaller, more patient-friendly model and higher patient satisfaction without sacrificing the highest in professional and expert care,” he added.