St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Mercy filed a letter of intent with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services this week to construct a 75-bed, "next-generation" hospital near Interstate 64 and Interstate 70 , serving the more than 520,000 residents of St. Charles , Lincoln and Warren counties.
State approval for the project could come this summer.
According to a press release, the 483,000-square-foot complex would be on about 60 acres and would be the first completely new acute-care hospital campus built in Missouri since 2015.
The hospital would bring hundreds of new health care jobs to the region in addition to local, union construction jobs as work on the facility is projected to take about four years, the company said.
Steve Bollin , director of the state health department's regulation and licensure division, said Mercy will submit what's known as a "certificate of need," which could be approved at the next review meeting, July 15 .
Bollin said Mercy's application will need to include the designs for the new facility, proof of financing to finish the project and a timeline for construction.
"If they do all their homework, which they generally do, they could get approved and are free to start the process," Bollin said. "They're committing a significant amount of money, so they won't want to delay."
The area has grown substantially since 2010, when a community master plan was developed for the region. Between 2010 and 2023, St. Charles County's population has increased by nearly 16% to almost 417,000 residents; Warren County increased by more than 16% to almost 38,000 residents; and Lincoln County by 25% to nearly 66,000 residents.
Residential developments have followed, particularly in St. Charles County , where more than 2,300 new housing units have been approved or planned in recent months.
Mercy president and CEO Steve Mackin said some Mercy patients travel more than an hour from Lincoln and Warren counties into St. Louis County for hospital care.
"Like the Sisters of Mercy before us, we are addressing a need in an area that is lacking enough hospital beds for the growing population," Mackin said in a statement. "As the metro area continues its westward growth, Mercy once again will seek to serve patients so they remain close to home."
As the project progresses, Mercy officials will hold roundtable discussions for public and community leaders to provide feedback and ideas for the new hospital. Updates will be posted on Mercy.net/WentzvilleCampus .
"This investment will create jobs and significantly enhance health care services in this area, positioning Wentzville as a regional destination for health care," Wentzville mayor Nick Guccione said in a statement. "We welcome Mercy to Wentzville , confident that it will help meet our growing health care needs and contribute to our area's vitality."
SSM Health and BJC also have hospitals in St. Charles County , to the west and south of Mercy's planned facility.
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