St. John Health System to open Owasso's first hospital

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Nov 22, 2006 by Kirby Lee Davis

St. John Health System will win the race to open Owasso's first hospital, although Hillcrest HealthCare System will not be far behind.

"We're open for life Monday at 7 a.m.," said David Phillips, chief executive of the $50 million St. John Owasso and a vice president with the Catholic-based health provider.

The four-story, 100,000-square-foot facility at 12451 E. 100th St. North, just off U.S. Highway 169, will open with 36 beds, expandable to 60, Phillips said in a news conference Tuesday. While it represents the first new operation built by St. John since 1926, Phillips said the 67-acre complex served a more important purpose in connecting the health system marketplace between its Bartlesville and Tulsa hospitals.

About two miles away, the 53-bed Bailey Medical Center also stands ready to do business, although regulatory hurdles kept it from its projected October debut.

"We physically saw our first patient today," said Le Gould, director of communications for Hillcrest, operator of the Bailey Medical Center LLC. Still working out its credentialing, he expects the 138,000-square-foot, three-story Owasso facility to open in mid- December. "We'll be seeing a small number of patients over the next few days."

Together these projects brought more than $100 million in construction to Owasso and promise an annual combined payroll of $22 million.

"A quality hospital has been a long-term goal for the city of Owasso," Mayor Stephen Cataudella said during Tuesday's press conference. "It's a wonderful year."

Haskell Co. of Jacksonville, Fla., built the $32 million St. John hospital structure as well as its neighboring $7 million office building. Phillips said that 70,000-square-foot, three-story building already stands one-third occupied.

St. John Owasso will employ a staff of 125, with 40 physicians and 35 nurses. That will allow the facility to operate with one nurse per every four patients, said Jason Lepak, co-director of emergency services.

"It's more expensive," he said, "and it takes more effort to bring that staff on, but it's an asset St. John's wanted us to have."

Other unique features include a fourth floor dedicated to women's health needs (and entirely staffed by women), a 10-bed emergency services area and a 24-hour laboratory. The second floor remains a shell, which allows for future growth needs.

Gould noted the 26-acre Bailey Medical Center also was built for expansion up to 73 beds.

Gould said the hospital expects growth. It may open with a staff of 100, but it anticipates hiring more.

"We may end up with 250 employees a couple of years down the road," he said. "It will have a very significant impact on that area."

Data compiled earlier this year by Mandy Vavrinak, the president and owner of the Tulsa consulting firm Crossroads Communications, projects 17.6-percent population growth in Owasso by 2010. The community of more than 33,000 has recorded 500-plus housing starts a year since 2003, with analysts expecting that to continue.

But while that points to the need for strong providers in Owasso, Phillips said that was not St. John's main goal.

"This is a missions facility," he said. "It continues our number one healing statement, which is to continue the healing ministry of Jesus Christ."