Published: November 07, 2009 11:28 am      

Officials break ground on Cleburne emergency room project

Local and Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne officials joined together Friday afternoon to break ground on the hospital’s new operating room expansion project.

“We’re all excited,” said Blake Kretz, Texas Health Cleburne president. “The sun is shining, and it’s shining on Texas Health Cleburne. It took a lot of work from a lot of people to get to this point, and this is going to help us meet the health care needs of the county as Cleburne and the area grows.”

The $8 million project will add two new operating rooms and an additional 2,550 square feet to the existing hospital. After expansion, the hospital will have five operating rooms.

“This is one way we’re able to help patients stay close to home for their health care,” Kretz said. “The new rooms will help facilitate patient flow in a much better manner and help ensure the families of patients have the best possible experience.”

Kretz said the project should take about a year and a half to complete.

Texas Health Cleburne is a key part of our system,” said Barclay Berdan, senior executive vice president of Texas Health Resources. “This is your community hospital, and we’re very proud to be a part of it.”

Besides increasing the availability of necessary services locally, Berdan said, he hopes the new facilities will attract more physicians and surgeons to the Cleburne area.

“Being a faith-based community hospital means taking on broad responsibilities in our mission to serve our communities,” said Doug White, Texas Health Harris Methodist Foundation president. “And this community has consistently and generously invested in Texas Health Cleburne.”

Kretz thanked the community, hospital employees, the Black and White Gala, and others whose contributions made the project a reality.

Once completed, Kretz said the new operating rooms will allow the hospital to accommodate several hundred surgical cases and about 300 endoscopy cases a year.

“Having the advanced technology and increased operating room capacity is critical for surgeons on the medical staff to treat the increase in volume for the surrounding Johnson County community,” said Dr. Brad Harman, a surgeon on the hospital’s medical staff.

Sam Walls, chairman of the hospital’s board of directors, praised community efforts in raising money to fund the expansion project and called the new surgery rooms a “true benefit” for Cleburne.