UP Health System – Marquette Breaks Ground on $300+ Million Medical Campus
Posted by Lake Superior Community Partnership on May 26, 2016
MARQUETTE, MI (May 26, 2016) — UP Health System – Marquette broke ground today on its new 500,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art medical facility and 80,000 square-foot, adjoining medical office building. The new medical campus will have an enormous impact on the economic health of the community and will enhance the level of service and delivery quality of care to people across the Upper Peninsula.
“We are genuinely excited to celebrate this day with UP Health System, the city of Marquette and the region that this brand new facility will serve,” said David Dill, president and chief operating officer of LifePoint Health. “We are proud to invest in the future of our communities and not only ensure, but advance the ability to deliver high quality care close to home. This is one way we can fulfill our mission of Making Communities Healthier, and I am eager to watch this exceptional new facility come to life.”
Joined by state and local UP officials, including a representative of Senator Debbie Stabenow and Marquette Mayor Pro Tem Sarah Reynolds, leaders from UP Health System – Marquette and Duke LifePoint Healthcare marked the milestone with the ceremonial shoveling of dirt. Guests then received a first-hand look at the hospital’s new grounds and plans for the campus.
“This is a symbolic day for our city,” said Marquette Mayor Dave Campana. “The impact this new facility will have on our community is substantial – from breathing life back into this historic part of our community to providing jobs and addressing our residents’ evolving healthcare needs. The new UPHS-Marquette campus will certainly have long-lasting influences on the overall health and well-being of our region.”
Significant to the project is the Brownfield designation, which at $55 million is the largest in state history. The Brownfield designation allowed Duke LifePoint to substantially expand the scope of the new hospital project. It will also pump new life into historic, downtown Marquette, transforming the former industrial site into a community asset that will contribute to the vitality of the area through the creation of jobs and enhanced access to quality healthcare services close to home.
“The Brownfield designation has allowed us to build a state-of-the-art facility that will serve our communities well for many years to come,” said Judy Watson-Olson, chair of the UP Health System – Marquette Board of Directors. “We are proud to have worked so closely and collaboratively with city leaders on this project and appreciate their continued commitment to helping best serve the ever-changing healthcare needs of our community.”
In addition to housing existing hospital services offered at the current location, the new facility will offer residents of Marquette and surrounding communities greater access to round-the-clock emergency services, surgical services, pediatric and behavioral healthcare, women’s services, cancer care, and laboratory and imaging services. Furthermore, it will enable the expansion of more specialized services, like cardiology and neurosurgery, bringing quality care close to home.
“Since UP Health System – Marquette joined Duke LifePoint Healthcare nearly four years ago, we have continuously explored opportunities to partner with our Marquette colleagues in optimizing clinical collaboration and quality care,” said Harry Phillips, M.D., chief medical officer, Duke Network Services. “While we have had numerous successes in partnering with our Marquette colleagues already, such as enhancements in the Quality, Cancer, and Heart Programs, the advancements in technology that come with this new facility will create even more opportunities and have an even greater impact on patient care.”
Designed to blend effortlessly into the community, the new UP Health System – Marquette hospital campus exterior will reflect the natural qualities of the region with a restrained material palette consisting of glass, white architectural concrete and dark masonry.
“We are incredibly proud of our progress and excited for our future,” said Jim Bogan, Market President for UP Health System, which includes hospitals in Marquette, Ishpeming and Hancock. “The thought and care that has gone into this project has paved the way for a world-class facility that is truly reflective of our region and is well equipped to support our community’s healthcare needs now and into the future.”
Construction on the project will begin immediately after the groundbreaking. The anticipated completion is slated for late 2018. The project is supported by a more than $300 million investment by Duke LifePoint Healthcare, of which UP Health – System Marquette is a part.
