Memorial Urbana Medical Center breaks ground

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Local health and government officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday for the Memorial Urbana Medical Center, a $9 million, 30,000-square-foot outpatient medical center scheduled to open in mid-2018 at the northwest corner of East U.S. Route 36 and North Dugan Road.

During Friday’s ceremony, Memorial Health President and CEO Chip Hubbs said the journey toward building the facility started more than five years ago through conversations with a longtime physician wishing to continue his practice following retirement.

Hubbs said today this practice is Memorial Primary Care Urbana, which includes four practitioners. He added Memorial Health is recruiting to add two more physicians to this practice. To accommodate future recruits they started to explore building a new home for the practice.

“We are proud to be investing $9 million in Urbana, a community that has long supported Memorial with residents who have chosen Memorial as their healthcare provider,” Hubbs said. “We want to keep a strong, stable local physician practice here for years to come. In doing so, this project allows us to construct an outpatient building that will provide room to add services that many people in Champaign County are already currently traveling to our main campus in Marysville to receive, making it more convenient for our patients from this area and providing the best in patient experience and the clinical outcomes that they deserve.”

Services Hubbs referenced that will be at the medical center include an urgent care, Memorial Primary Care Urbana with the ability to add two additional providers, physical and occupational therapy, two specialty clinics, lab testing services and some imaging services.

Hubbs said the facility will improve the quality of life in Champaign County, increase access to local healthcare, increase the tax base and increase local spending. In addition to the $9 million investment, Hubbs said at least 12 new jobs will be added while retaining 17 current jobs, it will create 50 local construction jobs and the facility will house a payroll in excess of $2.7 million.

“We want to be in Urbana, we know how to be a good community partner and we have every intention of doing so,” Hubbs said. “We want to be an active member of the community so please call us when we can be of help. We look forward to serving you when we open in 2018.”

Urbana Mayor Bill Bean said the city’s involvement started about 15 months ago when he, Champaign Economic Partnership Economic Developer Marcia Bailey and Urbana Director of Administration Kerry Brugger were invited to Marysville to speak with Memorial Health representatives. Bean said the city was thrilled when Memorial discussed wanting to bring a facility similar to their Marysville location to Urbana.

Bean thanked the efforts of city Zoning Officer Adam Moore, Community Development Manager Doug Crabill and Bailey for helping move the project forward.

Champaign County Commissioner Steve Hess said the facility will be a big enhancement to Champaign County’s healthcare provider system.

“The most important thing to me is that the citizens of Champaign County are provided the best possible healthcare system that we can provide for them,” Hess said.

Memorial Health and local government officials take part in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Memorial Urbana Medical Center on Friday. The 30,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to open in 2018.
https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2017/03/web1_Medical-1.jpgMemorial Health and local government officials take part in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Memorial Urbana Medical Center on Friday. The 30,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to open in 2018. Nick Walton | Urbana Daily Citizen

This is a rendering viewed from the southwest of Memorial Health’s new Urbana medical facility, scheduled to be built in 2017 at the northwest corner of the East U.S. Route 36 and North Dugan Road intersection on the east side of Urbana.
https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2017/03/web1_Memorial-Health-1.jpgThis is a rendering viewed from the southwest of Memorial Health’s new Urbana medical facility, scheduled to be built in 2017 at the northwest corner of the East U.S. Route 36 and North Dugan Road intersection on the east side of Urbana. Submitted images

Pictured is a rendering viewed from the southeast of Memorial Health’s new Urbana medical facility.
https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2017/03/web1_Memorial-Health-2-1.jpgPictured is a rendering viewed from the southeast of Memorial Health’s new Urbana medical facility. Submitted images

By Nick Walton

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Nick Walton can be reached at 937-652-1331 Ext. 1777 or on Twitter @UDCWalton.

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