Baptist Health Hardin leaders provide construction update on Outpatient Medical Pavilion

New pavilion is set to open in 2024.

ELIZABETHTOWN, KY (Oct. 20, 2022) – Over the last year, the local landscape has been changing since Baptist Health Hardin broke ground on its new Outpatient Medical Pavilion. Since groundbreaking, the pavilion has taken shape, dramatically changing the horizon near the hospital. Hospital leadership recently provided an update about the progress of construction and what changes the community can expect to see in the coming months.

“Our construction partners continue to make great advancements on the Outpatient Medical Pavilion,” said Baptist Health Hardin Assistant Vice President of Operations Steve White. “The progress at our construction site is happening so quickly that there is something new taking place each day.  Soon, we will see demolition of some buildings around the site and continued exterior sheathing, enclosing the interior spaces of the five story tower.”

Steelworkers have framed five stories of the medical office building on the south side of the site along Patriot Parkway. Concrete workers are pouring “slab on deck” concrete and have completed three of the five floors. Interior walls on levels two, three, and four are complete, and framing has begun on level five.

“As the framing of the interior walls on levels two and three were completed, I walked through and could start to see the flow within the space, and it felt very smooth and intuitive,” said John Stratton, Baptist Health project construction manager. “That will translate to a great experience for our caregivers and patients.”

Construction crews have begun placing purple sheathing on the south side of the building. Last week, precast concrete panels were placed on the south side of the five story tower. The building walls will conceal the continued work on the interior of the structure.  Steel work will then transition to the east portion of the site.

“During the initial construction, we, along with other construction projects across the region, have experienced some challenges securing concrete,” White said. “However, these issues have begun to remedy themselves, and we are hopeful there will be no additional issues through the remainder of construction.”

Concrete pours for the cancer center are expected to begin in the next few weeks.

In addition, ironworkers are finishing the corridor that will connect the new Outpatient Medical Pavilion to the existing hospital. This connection is located at the former entrance to the Women's Imaging Center, located off Woodland Drive. The connector will allow seamless access between the existing hospital and the new Outpatient Medical Pavilion.

The new 282,000-square-foot Outpatient Medical Pavilion, which will be the size equivalent of 75% of the existing hospital, is set to open in 2024. The facility will house a new comprehensive cancer center with all patient services together for the first time; 12 new surgical suites, including a hybrid operating room; three additional cardiac catheterization labs; medical offices to accommodate new physicians and specialists; and patient-centric spaces designed to promote emotional and spiritual healing.

Most of Baptist Health Hardin’s existing medical offices, diagnostic centers and locations will remain as-is across the 10-county service area and a few, such as the existing cancer center, will be repurposed to house other specialties after the pavilion’s completion.