In Jan. 17-23, 2008 issue
Special to The Times Journal
editor@tjrcn.com

COLUMBIA, Ky. - Westlake Regional Hospital presented major expansion and renovation plans to the Adair Fiscal Court recently as their finalized plans were made public.

The twenty million dollar project includes the addition of a third floor to the present two story structure along with the total renovation of the present hospital.

Hospital Administrator and CEO Rusty Tungate addressed the magistrates with the hospital expansion plans, along with Architect Steve Weiser, who gave a visual presentation.

The expansion plans also include a new administration building, renovation of the medical office building and the installation of a new MRI facility.

Pauline Davenport, Projects Director, stated it was "certainly an exciting period" with Westlake Regional Hospital, the center of Westlake Team Care. She added that Westlake presently has an all new replacement hospital under construction in Liberty and is finalizing plans for another new replacement hospital in Greensburg.

Davenport stated the new hospital in Casey County is being constructed in that community and should open later this year. The brick structure in Casey County is presently under roof with the old building to be razed upon completion while the hospital in Green County will be constructed in an all new location. It will be very similar in design and construction as the one in Casey.

Davenport continued to tell that the Adair project "will provide this region with one of the latest hospitals of design and health care."

The addition will provide a third floor of patient rooms with the all new design and concept with both exterior and interior walls constructed with a lot of glass and with bright and cheerful surroundings. All patient rooms will be private which is the latest concept in patient care. The renovation will also include a new elevator tower.

Davenport stated Westlake Regional in Columbia has just recently installed and placed a new Cat Scan into service and a new MRI center will be added to give Westlake one of the latest and newest radiological centers in the region.

Westlake opened the hospital facility in 1980 and built the medical office building in 1984.

Administrator Tungate reported to the fiscal court that Westlake presently employs around 400 people with an annual payroll over 12 million and income reported at $42.5 million.

Tungate also pointed out to the fiscal court that Adair County residents in 1980 built the structure then with the support of a county hospital tax which was later removed in 1998. Tungate stated Adair was one of the few county-owned hospitals remaining especially operating without a county supported hospital tax base.