Project category: Addition (completed July 2005)

Chief administrator: Jerry Beasley, CEO, (574) 267-3200

Firm: MSKTD & Associates, Inc., (317) 917-1190

Design team: Chuck Braden, Principal-in-Charge, Healthcare Planner; Jerry Noble, Principal, Project Architect; Nick Slater, Project Designer; Mark Peters, Project Manager; David Swarts, Mechanical Engineer; Jon Rowe, Principal, Electrical Engineer

Photography: Jonah Garoutte Photography

Total building area (sq. ft.): 30,020 (new); 1,120 (renovation)

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $212 (new); $212 (renovation)

Total construction cost (excluding land): $6,364,240 (new); $237,440 (renovation)

Kosciusko Community Hospital opened the doors in August of 2005 to the new Emergency Care Center (ECC), which meets state-of-the-art emergency care standards and accommodates increasing patient volumes. The new facility includes the addition of a two-story, 24,800-sq.-ft. structure that includes 12,400 square feet of shell space for future expansion of hospital services.

The new ECC features specialized care rooms, including two triage rooms, three trauma/critical care rooms, two OB/GYN rooms, two pediatric exam rooms, one ENT exam room, two orthopedic/minor procedure rooms, one isolation room, five general exam rooms, and two observation rooms. All patient care rooms have cardiac monitor capability. Also, an enlarged lobby area with private registration was added to ensure patient privacy. Great care was taken to create a family-friendly, hospitable environment while still integrating the latest in technology and security. All private treatment areas allow for family access and confidentiality and have contributed to much higher patient satisfaction scores.


Federal grant dollars were used from the Health Resources and Services Administration to construct a state-of-the-art, external decontamination shower system, so that the hospital facility and staff are prepared for countywide emergency response. The new ambulance drop-off canopy can convert to a three-lane, three-stage decontamination area in minutes.

Kosciusko Community Hospital is designated as a “First Receiver Hospital,” which further reinforces the need for its strong community leadership in emergency preparedness.