Community Mercy to discuss future of long-term care facility

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By Jessica Heffner, Staff Writer 11:11 PM Monday, February 20, 2012

SPRINGFIELD — The fate of a local nursing home is in question as administrators scheduled meetings today with staff and residents to discuss its future.

Community Mercy Health Partners, one of the biggest local employers, will meet with the staff and residents of the Mercy St. John’s Center, a long-term care facility it operates on McCreight Avenue. It was once part of the Mercy Medical Center campus.

Spokesman David Lamb confirmed those meetings, but did not release details about what would be discussed.

The future of the center has been the subject of speculation since the former Community Hospital and Mercy Medical Center announced plans to merge and build a new joint hospital nearly a decade ago. They officially closed Mercy Medical Center in 2010 after 60 years in operation.

Before opening the new Springfield Regional Hospital downtown this past fall, hospital administrators said it cost $1 million per year per hospital to maintain the two campuses.

Demolition has been debated at both the former Community and Mercy hospital sites, but would cost between $6 million to $9 million, according to hospital staff.

Wittenberg University has expressed interest in the Mercy campus on North Fountain Avenue. Lamb confirmed there is still interest in the campus, but said there “aren’t any definite plans” by the university.

St. John’s is located on the south side of the Mercy campus. It has 89 beds for seniors, according to its last Medicare report.

In addition to St. John’s, Mercy Health Partners operates the Oakwood Village retirement and senior living campus in Springfield and senior facilities in Urbana and Dayton.

Staff Writer Everdeen Mason contributed to this report.

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