Baptist Health recently dedicated its newest hospital in a ceremony in Conway with the help of Gov.Asa Hutchinson. The governor, along with Baptist Health President and CEO Troy Wells, Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway Vice President and Administrator Joanie White-Wagoner, and community leaders spoke during the event. Pastor Don Chandler of Central Baptist Church offered a dedication prayer.
Gov. Hutchinson and Wells helped to raise the Baptist Health flag in front of the hospital just before the ribbon-cutting took place. Participants were then invited to tour the new facility.
Construction on the hospital began in July 2014 when a ground-breaking ceremony was held on the 37-acre site off of Interstate 40 in Conway. The $150-million, 260,000-square-foot hospital includes 111 beds and eight operating rooms. The medical center will initially open with 24 available beds with the opening of other units to follow on a staggered schedule, six operating rooms, a helipad, and a full-service emergency room staffed with specialized personnel including paramedics.
Smart beds in every patient room are just one of the examples of the latest technology found at the new facility. The beds have many advanced features that make it easier for caregivers to monitor conditions and accomplish tasks like weighing patients without moving them to a scale. Some medical data monitored by the bed is automatically uploaded into the electronic medical records system.
Approximately 325 healthcare professionals have been hired to work at the medical center when it opens its doors for patients at 7 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 16. Some of the services that the hospital will offer include surgery, imaging, urology, dialysis, wound care, mammography, gastroenterology, oncology, cardiology diagnostics, nephrology, and physical, speech, and occupational rehab. The women’s center, which will offer labor and delivery services, is still under construction and is expected to open in November.
GSR Andrade provided architectural design services and CDI served as the general contractor.