The construction site for the new Wrangell Medical Center, which will be attached to the SEARHC AICS clinic on Wood Street. The 45,000 square foot building is expected to be ready to receive patients by early 2021.
Construction of Wrangell's new hospital is on track, according to Hospital Administrator Leatha Merculieff. Construction began back in April, as land next to the AICS Clinic was cleared of trees and leveled.
An official groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 30. Back in 2018, the old Wrangell Medical Center
was acquired by the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium. As part of this deal, SEARHC agreed to build a new hospital for the city.
Designs for the new hospital will connect to the existing clinic, and will be about 44,500 square feet. Floor plans include a 14-bed long term care wing and a 4-room acute care wing. The total project cost is about $30 million, and the new hospital is expected to be ready for patients by January of 2021.
So far, Merculieff said, that is still the case.
"Yes, we are on track," she said. "We're scheduled to be completed in early 2021."
Mike Pountney, the project lead, said that the site is still being cleared right now, and they are doing foundation work. Underground work will begin soon, he said, and also added that they are "on the verge" of starting work on the structure itself.
Merculieff added that a virtual tour of the future hospital will be available on SEARHC's Facebook page by the end of the week, at the latest, and she encouraged anyone curious to take a look.
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