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Ribbon-cutting ceremony held at new UPHS-M campus

By JAYMIE DEPEW

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the new UP Health System-Marquette facility on Friday to celebrate the recent completion of the 525,000-square-foot hospital and 90,000-square-foot medical office building.

Originally slated to open in April, hospital administration announced last week that the facility will be ready for service on June 2 at its 850 W. Baraga Avenue location.

UPHS-M leaders were joined by Marquette staff and state officials, including Sen. Ed McBroom and state Rep. Sara Cambensy, who presented an award to Brian Sinotte, CEO and market president of UPHS-M, recognizing the hospital’s achievement.

Before the ribbon cutting occurred, several hospital representatives thanked staff, skilled trade employees who helped build the hospital, area leaders and city officials, and the community for their support during the overall process of creating a new health care platform.

Sinotte said it’s a special moment in time being able to “turn that page together.”

“This new medical campus really represents that new beginning,” he said. “The role that we play in an economic vitality standpoint is profound and this achievement today, so many people have played such a role.”

There’ll be future opportunities to tour the hospital before its opening date, Sinotte said, which will be announced in May.

Victor Giovanetti, executive vice president of hospital operations at LifePoint Health — the parent company of UPHS-M, said this is an exciting time for the Upper Peninsula.

“We’re confident this new facility will elevate the level of quality service we provide to this community today and well into the future,” he said. “It’s going to be a vital part of the health care fabric of this community for generations to come and we could not be more proud of how it turned out and to be a part of it with all of you.”

Dr. Linda Sutton, associate chief medical officer for Duke Network Services, medical director for the Duke Cancer Network, and board member of UPHS-M, said the facility will be convenient for those in need of services.

“This new hospital will transform the patient experience in countless ways, offering facilities that are more convenient, simpler to navigate, and with easier access to many vital services,” she said. “Collectively, we have an opportunity here and now to do something we have not been able to do before and that is to engage people in new ways and to improve the health and well-being of those we serve.”

Dr. John Bartlee, chairman of the UPHS-M board, recalled when Duke LifePoint, which is now LifePoint Health, purchased Marquette General Hospital in 2012.

“I can remember nine years ago when I first joined the board as chief of staff and we were talking about our underfunded pension and where our health care was going – and we needed an upstream partner,” he said. “We really wanted a quality partner and we wanted a strong commitment to the Upper Peninsula. Some of the hospitals that were thinking about purchasing us or interested in becoming a partner did not have that commitment to the Upper Peninsula, did not have that commitment to a hub in Marquette and I really thank LifePoint … for the quality and that commitment to the Upper Peninsula.”

Dr. Craig Coccia, chief of staff of UPHS-M, said the success of the hospital’s programs and physicians is a result of the “tremendous people from the community surrounding them.”

“Whether it’s ensuring the patients are fed, the rooms are clean, the medicines are prepared, the nursing care needs met in the middle of the night, or many other key roles and tasks performed,” he said. “It’s our friends and neighbors in this community who drive our speciality care services.”

The new campus, a nearly $340 million investment, will replace the College Avenue facility the hospital has inhabited since 1915.

The 37-acre site for the medical campus was selected in 2015 and was formerly known as the “Roundhouse Property,” as it was used for industrial purposes for decades.

UPHS-Marquette worked collaboratively with the city of Marquette Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Brownfield Redevelopment Program to revitalize the land for the future medical campus. Construction began in May 2016.

Services available at the hospital include 24-hour emergency services, surgical, pediatric and behavioral health care, women’s services, cancer care, cardiac care, laboratory and imaging services.

According to a press release, the hospital includes pre-cast panels on its facade that are made to look like native birch tree groves. Textured glass on the outside of the building protects migrant birds. The hospital was built to be energy efficient and maximize natural light throughout the facility, the release states.

Jaymie Depew can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206. Her email address is jdepew@miningjournal.net.

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