Chicago Construction News staff writer
Carle Health has approved a $45 million capital project at Carle Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney, aimed at expanding specialty care services and increasing emergency department capacity as part of a multi-year campus redevelopment plan.
The project includes construction of a new 46,000-square-foot, two-storey specialty medical office building and a subsequent expansion of the hospital’s emergency department. Hospital officials say the initiative is designed to improve patient access, streamline care delivery and support long-term regional health-care needs.
The new medical office building will consolidate outpatient specialty services currently located across multiple sites, including within Carle Richland Memorial Hospital, Carle Surgical Services and Carle Olney. The facility will also add a new laboratory space and an infusion centre for patients.
“Carle Richland has been a part of this community for over 70 years and we have been putting a lot of work and effort into our campus planning for the future,” said Gina Thomas, president of Carle Richland Memorial Hospital. 0“This specialty medical office building will bring all of our outpatient specialty services, such as cardiology, urology, podiatry — just to name a few — to one location.”
Thomas added that consolidating services will also position the hospital to expand offerings in line with community needs.
The new clinic will be constructed on the southwest side of the existing hospital campus and will be physically connected to the main hospital, allowing easier movement between facilities for both patients and staff.
Construction of the medical office building is expected to begin in late summer, with completion targeted for late fall 2027. Once that phase is finished, work will begin on expanding the emergency department.
According to hospital officials, relocating laboratory services into the new building will free up space for a larger, modernized emergency department featuring dedicated registration, triage and private patient care areas.
“This is a two-phased building project,” Thomas said. “By moving the laboratory into the new building, we will be able to expand the Emergency Department and make dedicated areas for registration, triage and private patient care rooms.”
The emergency department expansion is expected to begin in fall 2027, with completion targeted for summer 2028.
