New hospital under construction

By Donna Hales
Phoenix Staff Writer

July 28, 2007 12:39 am

— The groundbreaking on a $52 million acute care hospital to be built on the corner of Harris Road and North Main Street means progress for Muskogee, officials say.
Muskogee County Commissioner Gene Wallace called it an historic occasion that will bring economic stimulation for well paying jobs.
Twenty-five physicians are investors in the project that was the brain child of Muskogee heart surgeon Dr. Tim Robison and his former college roommate, Bartlesville businessman Mark Roberts.
“We have all shared the thought that Muskogee should be a regional shopping hub, a regional provider of higher education and the regional provider of health care,” Wallace said.
Roberts was given the task four years ago to bring the project to reality. He told onlookers it seemed simple at the time.
He said he learned quickly that investors were not just a bunch of maverick doctors who wanted to make more money.
“That couldn’t be further from the truth,” Roberts said. “It was their contagious passion to make a difference in healthcare and people’s lives that gave me the strength to get this deal done.”
Roberts was running a successful auto dealership when approached about the project.
“But in the scheme of things, all I did was get my name on the back of about 30,000 cars,” he said. “If God has put us here to make a difference along the way, was that it? No, probably not.”
Roberts got out of the car business and took over the job of getting financing and moving the project forward.
“Mark was the force that caused us to persevere on this project. He refused to quit — and believe me, there were some pretty rough times when it seemed some, if not all of us, were ready to quit,” said attorney J. Christian Guzzy, a tax credit financing specialist.
“Four surgeries and seven pints of blood ago, I started working on this damn project,” Roberts said.
Friday, he cried a little and laughed a lot as he recalled what it took for the project to come to fruition.
SpiritBank Chairman of the Board Tracy Kelley, who provided financing for the project, said the cohesiveness and attitude of the 25 physician investors in staying together impressed him. Robison’s and Roberts’ tenacity cinched the deal, he said.
Muskogee attorney Ron Wright hosted Friday’s event. Robison said Wright, his attorney and friend, told him earlier: “I just want to thank you guys for letting me be an attorney building something instead of tearing it down.”
Robison said he believes the project will not only touch a community, but will touch a generation.
“You put it in the ground for your children and children’s children ...,” Robison said. “If we provide a better chance for good jobs and challenging careers, all of our children will have more reasons to make this their home.”
But the main reason the physicians made the financial commitment was because of the need for better service for their patients, Robison said.
He said his patients continually ask him the equivalent of: “Are you getting it done for us?”
“I think this is fantastic,” said Special District Judge Robin Adair. “It can only help the community.”
Robison said without Robert’s intense focus and dedication the project wouldn’t have happened.
“His singular dedication will improve the lives of thousands of people in this part of Oklahoma. I don’t think that legacy has touched him yet, but it will. I can never thank him enough for breathing life into our future.”
Robison also credited the physician investors with being of a like mind since the project started.
“We’re focused on doing one thing really, really well patient care,” he said. “We all felt the need to respond to our patients needs with action. We also know that healthcare is the economic backbone of any community.”

What’s next

Muskogee County Commissioner Gene Wallace said he will be in a meeting Monday in connection with the project qualifying for state and federal money to provide an industrial road to the new hospital.

Hospital facts

The Muskogee Community Hospital, a 95,056 square-foot acute care hospital, will include:
• 45 private patient rooms.
• Four surgical operating rooms.
• Three endoscopy/pain management procedure rooms.
• 25 plus physicians — general surgery, ENT, gynecology, anesthesia, gastroenterology, neurosurgery, oncology, internal, pulmonary, family, pediatrics and urology.

Reach Donna Hales at 918-684-2923 or Click Here to Send Email

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.