Administration Breaks Ground for New Benton County Hospital
by October 15, 2001 12:00 am 287 views
On Oct. 9, officials from Northwest Health System broke ground for a new 221,000-SF facility that will replace Bates Medical Center in Bentonville.
At the ceremony, administrators from Northwest Health System and its parent company, Triad Health Partners, launched an 18-month construction period for the $63 million, 128-bed hospital.
The gathering occurred 10 days before the one-year anniversary of the announcement that Triad intended to buy Quorum Health Group Inc. At that time, Quorum owned Northwest Health System, including Bates Medical and Northwest Medical Center in Springdale. Estimated to be worth $2.4 billion, the sale closed April 2.
Administrators also announced new names for the two Northwest Arkansas hospitals. Bates Medical will be renamed Northwest Medical Center of Benton County, and Northwest Medical Center will be known as Northwest Medical Center of Washington County.
Upon completion of the new hospital, which is scheduled for summer of 2003, Bates Medical Center will close. Plans for the older facility have not yet been announced. The new hospital will rest on 60 acres of land west of I-540.