BURKE - With funding in place, the Burke Community Memorial Hospital could see work begin on a multi-million-dollar expansion in less than two months.
With a tentative groundbreaking set for May 22, hospital CEO Mistie Sachtjen said hospital officials are hard at work finalizing design plans, for the project that will add 17,000 square feet to the hospital, adding clinic space, a pharmacy, radiology, a lab and an emergency room.
The clinic is currently housed in a secondary building near the hospital, which Sachtjen said can be inconvenient for patients.
The hospital has raised $1,216,450, and in December secured a $6.627 million loan from the United States Department of Agriculture. Sachtjen declined to disclose the total cost of the project Wednesday, but had previously estimated it to be approximately $6 million.
"For a community our size, this is a monumental time," Sachtjen said. "For me, when I started working here two years ago, the board of directors had a vision, but now, with strong support from the community, we're starting to see that taking shape."
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Construction manager for the project is Puetz Construction, of Mitchell. Following the expansion's completion, Sachtjen hopes the clinic building can house additional services, like chiropractic or mental health care.
