(Published May 23, 2005) Grand View Hospital officials held a ground breaking ceremony today celebrating the progress made toward the construction of a planned 85,000-square-foot outpatient center at Route 309 and Lawn Avenue, West Rockhill Township.

“I am very pleased by the outpouring of community support for this project,” said William Aichele, chairman of the “Expanding the Vision” fundraising campaign. “So far we have raised $6.6 million of our $8 million goal. Speaking on behalf of the hospital, we are very grateful for the generosity of our employees, trustees, auxiliary members, medical staff and local businesses.”

The outpatient center, to be built on the former Stump farm about 500 yards west of Grand View Hospital, will be built in stages. The first stage of construction – expected to be complete in fall 2006 – will encompass the basement, first floor and the shell of a second floor.

The finished space will account for approximately 47,000 square feet and will accommodate a women’s center, cardiac rehabilitation, EKG, sports medicine and physical medicine, digital imaging services, phlebotomy and laboratory services. Imaging services will include digital radiology, mammography, bone-density scanning (DEXA), ultrasound and computerized tomography (CT) scans. Stereotactic breast biopsy will also be available at the new outpatient center.

The center would employ approximately 65 people, many of whom would transfer from the hospital. Approximately 175 people a day would visit the center, accounting for about 45,000 visits per year. The center would be open from 6:30 am to 9 pm Monday through Friday and Saturday mornings.

In addition to Aichele, participating in the ground breaking ceremony were: Stuart H. Fine, Grand View CEO; Thomas Hipp, MD, Chairman of the Grand View Hospital Board of Trustees; Dennis Schlosser, Chairman of the Grand View Health Foundation Board of Trustees and Steven Swartley, chairman of the Grand View Hospital Board of Trustees Building Committee.

The outpatient center is the second phase of Grand View’s $56 million building project designed to meet the community’s changing health care needs. The first phase of the project included construction of the Grand View Hospital Outpatient Center at Harleysville, which opened in August. The project will conclude with renovations to the main hospital campus expected to begin next summer. Planned improvements include upgrading the maternity unit, surgical suite, imaging services, orthopaedic unit, and emergency department.

For more information regarding giving opportunities, please contact David Alderfer, Director of Development at 215-453-4297.