A Keys hospital is closer to rebuilding, three years after Hurricane Irma destroyed it
A construction crew Wednesday raised the final beam on a Middle Keys hospital building that will replace what Hurricane Irma destroyed nearly three years ago.
Fishermen’s Community Hospital leaders and its owners, Baptist Health South Florida, said it was a moment worth celebrating.
“Seeing the final beam of the new hospital go up is a significant indication of this community’s success and is a monumental occasion,” said Rick Freeburg, CEO of Fishermen’s. “It is going to be an extraordinary new hospital.”
Baptist Health, which owns two of the three hospitals in the Keys: Mariners in Tavernier and Fishermen’s, is in the midst of a $45 million rebuild at 3301 Overseas Hwy., or mile marker 48.7 in Marathon.
Lower Keys Medical Center on Stock Island, just outside of Key West, is owned by Community Health Systems.
Baptist bought Fishermen’s in July 2017 for $13 million with plans for renovations. Two months later, Irma hit.
The new one-story hospital building is set to open in the fall of 2021 and Baptist says it’s designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane.
Irma, which struck Sept. 10, 2017, was a Category 4 storm.
The ground beneath the new hospital has been raised more than 11 feet, which exceeds the building code requirements, said Georgi Morales Pipkin, a Baptist spokeswoman.
The tilt-up walls of the structure are made of reinforced concrete, just like the roof. In the event of a loss of power, the building will have dual emergency generators.
Fishermen’s will have 22 inpatient beds, less than half of what the former 1962-era hospital had.
Funding the $45 million budget is money raised by Baptist’s foundation — about $15 million has been collected so far — and a new county tax.
In 2018, the Monroe County Commission unanimously approved a new property tax for the Middle Keys to raise $1.5 million a year for 10 years to pay for the poorest patients’ care — a request by Baptist.
Fishermen’s continues to operate as a group of modular buildings that opened in Marathon on July 1.
Before that, Fishermen’s operated as a “MASH unit,” or field hospital constructed from tents and shipping containers, the consequence of Hurricane Irma.
“We are thrilled to see the final beam placed as we build an entirely new Fishermen’s Community Hospital,” said Alex Villoch, Baptist Health Foundation Chief Executive Officer. “We are extremely grateful for the incredible vision of the community and the leadership of our volunteers — none of this would be possible without them.”
This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 5:32 PM with the headline "A Keys hospital is closer to rebuilding, three years after Hurricane Irma destroyed it."
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