The Wabash General Hospital Board of Directors has given the green light to a major campus expansion, approving a proposed $75 million building plan during a special meeting held Monday. The project represents the largest construction initiative in the hospital’s history.
Hospital President and CEO Karissa Turner highlighted the significance of the timing, noting that the expansion coincides with Wabash General Hospital’s 75th anniversary in 2026. Turner explained that planning for the improvements began several years ago, with discussions starting as early as 2018 and 2019 to address growing needs in various departments. She emphasized that key areas like the medical-surgical unit and emergency department have not undergone significant renovations in decades, despite increased demand. Now employing more than 650 staff members, the hospital sees the expansion as a vital investment in both its workforce and the community’s future.
Vice President of Project Management and Infrastructure Nate Stevenson, who has overseen the project for the past year, outlined a phased construction approach designed to minimize disruptions to patient care. The plan includes a new two-story north addition featuring a modern surgical suite with five full-size operating rooms (with space for a sixth in the future), a new sterile processing department, expanded emergency services, laboratory upgrades, a new public lobby, and additional room for future growth.
Some elements, such as an in-house MRI, expanded physical therapy facilities, and the relocation of the medical-surgical unit, are slated for later phases of the project. Stevenson noted that initial concepts for the expansion approached $100 million, but through careful revisions and phased planning, the cost was reduced to approximately $75 million. Construction is expected to span several years.
Hospital officials stressed that detailed floor plans are still in development, and the current designs represent a high-level vision rather than final layouts. Before construction can begin, the hospital must secure several regulatory approvals, including a Certificate of Need from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Throughout the project, hospital services are expected to remain operational, with construction carefully staged to limit any impact on patient care.