AMC expansion details emerge
Published 5:00 pm Saturday, May 7, 2011

Austin Medical Center's David Agerter, M.D. gives the AMC Auxiliary an update on the expansion during a luncheon Friday at the Historic Hormel Home. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Austin Medical Center is continuing to reveal more details for its expansion and remodeling plans.
AMC administrators spoke at the AMC Auxiliary spring luncheon Friday, focusing on the hospital’s 86,500-square-foot, three-story expansion project that’s set for groundbreaking in late July.
Hospital officials expect the $28 million project to last 20-24 months, with most of the construction taking place in 2012, followed by remodeling in 2013.
The project will need final approval from the City Council at its May 16 meeting. One of the first steps after that will be to remove the apartments located at the north part of the campus beginning June 2 to make way for 20 additional parking spaces.
Adam Rees, AMC’s Chief Administrative Officer, said of the $28 million, $23.5 million will go to construction, $2.8 million is for equipment and furnishing, and $1.7 million is engineering costs.
AMC’s CEO Dr. David Agerter said the project will help the hospital more effectively take care of patients as a team. Physicians and departments that may see the same patients will be located next to one another.
“The design of the building will accommodate that, specifically in the neighborhood designs of the second and third floor,” said Rod Nordeng, vice president of Operations and Human Resources.
The lower level of the building will include a musculoskeletal center with services relating to orthopedics, sports medicine, a pain clinic, podiatry and rehabilitation.
The Specialty Clinic will be redone and moved near General Surgery. Family Medicine will expand on the second floor and an expanded Cardiology Department will move there as well.
The OB/GYN Department will move to the third floor, along with the Pediatrics Department and Finance and Administration.
The first floor will add an eye clinic, as well as a new Mayo Clinic retail and pharmacy outlet. The cafeteria will also be expanded, something that hasn’t happened since 1938.
The entrance area will now also include a main desk in the middle of the front hall for volunteers to greet patients, staff and visitors.
Nording said the expansion will also create about 70 new full-time jobs, including nine new physicians. He said they have started physician recruitment, a process that can take one to three years, depending on the specialty.
Auxiliary members were encouraged to donate to the project’s $2.5 million fundraising campaign, which will officially kick off in two weeks. Nording said the community has been supportive and expects a successful campaign.
“I think what’s important about it is, for every dollar donated, it’s matched with $10 from the medical center,” he said.
Craig Johnson, Executive Director of the AMC Foundation, said Mayo Clinic doesn’t do projects like this unless there’s community support.
“It shows the community is interested in (the project),” Nordeng added. “It’s real positive for Austin and it speaks well for the community, and our entire staff.”
—Trisha Marczak contributed to this report.