CoxHealth breaks ground on $42M Monett hospital

Two months after its plans were approved by a state committee, CoxHealth broke ground yesterday on a $42 million hospital in Monett.

CoxHealth spokeswoman Kaitlyn McConnell said the project — built by general contractor JE Dunn Construction Co. and designed by BSA LifeStructures — is scheduled for completion in two years.

The 75,000-square-foot hospital is designed with an expanded emergency department, multiple operating rooms, labor and delivery, and an attached building housing 40 exam rooms and physician clinics, according to a news release.

“In this era when many rural hospitals are closing, we’re thrilled that we’re moving forward to provide an even greater level of care for individuals and families in the Monett area,” said Darren Bass, president of Cox Monett, in the release.

Located along U.S. Highway 60 in east Monett, the hospital will replace CoxHealth’s current facility at 801 Lincoln Ave. McConnell said a decision on the current hospital’s future has not yet been made.

Cox Monett Hospital was known as St. Vincent Hospital before it joined the CoxHealth system in 1993. It’s one of two critical-access hospitals — meaning it’s available for rural residents in time-sensitive situations — along with Cox Barton County Hospital in Lamar, operated by the Springfield-based health care system, according to the release.

For the replacement hospital, CoxHealth Foundation President Lisa Alexander announced a fundraising campaign to raise partial funding for its construction. The fundraiser is targeted to bring in $7 million, McConnell said.

“While CoxHealth is funding the vast majority of this project, a percentage of the total cost is reliant on donor support,” Alexander said in the release. “We are excited to announce today our Momentum Campaign and $1.5 million already committed to encourage the community to see the great value placed on the future of health care in this region.”

CoxHealth’s development plans in Monett received approval in early March from the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee.