Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital put the last steel beam in place Wednesday for its $30 million expansion project.
Before the beam was put in place, staff members were able to sign it.
Lynn Mergen, CEO of LKH, said the hospital has been serving the community since 1976 “and there have been a lot of changes that have been going on.” With the current project, they are making more space they feel is necessary.
The expansion project has been a couple years in the works and, after the COVID-19 pandemic and delays, actually doing the project is special, he said.

    Lynn Mergen, CEO of Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital, speaks before the last steel beam is put into place for its $30 million expansion project. Photo by Jackie Gorski, Times-Union
  

With the expansion project, the hospital is going to add to what it already has. They have redone some of the rooms in the hospital and are adding more operating room space as well as the front lobby being enlarged and redesigned, which will be more customer friendly.
Mergen said the hospital wants people to have the access they need and to have space for wheelchairs. The hospital had room for wheelchairs before, but it was a little tighter than hospital staff would have liked. So with the project, hospital staff wants patients to have plenty of space and be able to meet family in a comfortable area.
Groundbreaking for the project took place in April.
Mergen said the project is on time and on budget. He said the hospital anticipates a 24-month process.
“So we’ll have the front done next summer and after that, we’ll start on the inside,” he said. Completion is expected for summer 2025.
Mergen thanked the management and patient staff for taking care of the community members. He also thanked contractor Walsh Construction, Chicago.