By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
An $8 million hospital and clinic facility came one-step
closer to reality with a formal ground-breaking at the new
site located in north Nephi on the west side of Main
Street.
Mark Stoddard, CEO for Central Valley Medical Center,
told the crowd that the ceremony was not only quite
gratifying but was "humbling" also. Stoddard conducted the
ceremony and spoke as well.
Alan Kenison, offered the dedicatory prayer for the
site.
"The old facility, cost the county $540,000 to build and
this hospital and clinic will cost $8 million to build,"
said Stoddard. "But this facility will pay for itself and
will provide health care for years to come. No taxes are
involved in its construction."
The money for the facility is coming from fund-raising
activities, cash reserve and a revenue bond, he said.
The new hospital was designed by Jensen Haslem,
architects, and is being constructed by Layton
Construction.
"We would also like to thank city government for
contributing the land the new hospital will be built on,"
said Stoddard. He thanked the mayor, the council, and Randy
McKnight, city administrator, for the work they had done to
provide the property for the site.
The construction would also not be possible, said
Stoddard, if in 1985, Juab County Commissioners Clinn
Morgan, Ross Garrett, and Joseph Bernini and county
attorney, Donald Eyre Jr., had not stepped out of the
hospital business.
The insight in allowing a non-profit organization to
control the workings of the hospital had proved wise, he
said.
Stoddard also thanked Gaylord Swim, a tireless member of
the hospital board, who looked forward to the time when a
new facility could be constructed and worked to bring the
plan forward.
"Without a doubt," said Stoddard, "It has taken the work
of many to make this day come about. The hospital board and
the medical staff should also be thanked."
For many years, said Stoddard, the hospital had been
short-handed. Now however, there was a strong medical staff
who were dedicated to the health care of the citizens of the
area.
First to address the crowd assembled for the
ground-breaking was Duane Crutchfield, representing the
hospital board of trustees.
"A lot of people have been looking forward to this day,"
said Crutchfield. "That is especially true of the hospital
board."
A great deal of compacting work had already been done at
the site, he said. The site preparation was necessary
because "we want to make sure the hospital stays where it is
built."
"It will bring a new vigor to our whole health care
system" said Crutchfield.
"I have been looking over the history of the old
hospital," said Wm. Boyd Howarth, commission chair. "The
first board of directors was formed in 1947."
Hospital construction on the old facility began in 1949
with the federal government, state government and the local
government each contributing $180,000, he said.
"I was in Korea on the day that it opened," said
Howarth.
Over the years, he said, he had had the opportunity to be
served at the hospital with his children being born there
and family members needed the help of hospital staff. "I,
myself, have had the opportunity to be under the care of the
staff at the hospital."
The construction, he said, would take place during the
new millennium and would be ready to serve the public with
the new technology now available.
Dr. Todd Plumb represented the medical staff utilizing
the facility. "It will be a long year waiting for the new
facility to be completed," he said. "The hospital is
stretching at the seams."
New equipment had been brought in along with new people
to run the equipment. New services had been instigated and a
new facility was badly needed.
Mayor Chad Brough recalled the time when bumper stickers
were made with the slogan: "What's happening in Nephi?" For
a long time, he said, many really wondered what was
happening in Nephi.
Now the city had a new high school, a new LDS stake
center, and was in the process of constructing a new city
four-plex base ball field.
"The hospital will be, and there is no doubt in my mind,
a jewel of the community." Most important, said Brough,
would be the work that would take place inside the walls of
the medical facility.
"Nephi City is proud to be a sponsor of the hospital
which is evident in the donation of land as the site," said
Brough.
The design team, said John Erdman, representing Jensen
Haslam, had been working with Stoddard and the board since
1996. The hospital will have 20 beds, the old one had 30,
but that was a thrust of modern facilities.
"Most new facilities are moving toward treating patients
on an out patient basis," he said.
Brent Gourley, Layton Construction, thanked Kenison, who
offered the dedicatory prayer, for the prayer. "It is
important to have a prayer on any construction project," he
said.
Gourley said his ancestors were sent by Brigham Young to
live in Goshen. "I wish they would have been sent to
Nephi."
"It is not the brick and mortar that makes a building
important, it is the care that goes on side the facility.
That's the real reason we are here," said Gourley.
Following the formal speeches, Bill Howard, who has been
a board member for many years and through many transitions,
said he was pleased the facility was being built. "Our
number one goal is to provide the best medical care we can
for the people of the area," he said. "This is going to be
an outstanding facility."
Those manning shovels at the ground-breaking ceremony
were Mark Chase, Alan Kenison, Bill Howard, and Joe Bernini,
all board members. In addition, doctors Todd Plumb, James
Besendorfer, and Jim Tatton; Brent Gourley, Layton
Construction; Don Finlayson, Jensen Haslem; Gaylord Swim;
Juab County Commissioners, Joseph Bernini, Wm. Boyd Howarth,
and Robert Steele; and Mark Stoddard, all dug into the earth
as part of the ceremonial first shovel brigade.
Other members of the staff at the medical center and
hospital were also given an opportunity to man a shovel in
succeeding groups.
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