The Wabash General Hospital Board of Directors has approved spending 95-thousand dollars to hire outside legal consultants to help guide the hospital through the state approval process for its proposed major expansion project.
During last week’s board meeting, Vice President of Project Management and Infrastructure Nate Stevenson explained that the hospital must obtain a Certificate of Need from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board before construction can begin.
Stevenson said the state requires that approval for hospital capital projects exceeding approximately 18 million dollars.
The review process examines the proposed construction, existing hospital utilization, project costs and the hospital's financial ability to complete the expansion.
Stevenson recommended hiring a Chicago-based law firm to handle the application process. He said the two attorneys who would represent Wabash General previously served as staff attorneys for the state's Health Facilities and Services Review Board and come highly recommended.
The firm proposed a fixed fee of 95-thousand dollars for the anticipated permitting services, although additional expenses could arise if complications develop during the approval process.
Stevenson told board members the hospital expects to submit its Certificate of Need application by the end of this year, with a potential appearance before the state review board in March or April of 2027.
Once that approval is received, the hospital must also obtain a construction permit from the Illinois Department of Public Health, a process expected to take approximately 120 days.
Stevenson said the combined permitting process could take five to six months, but much of that time will overlap with other project preparations, including bidding and final construction planning.
Following discussion, the board voted unanimously to approve the 95-thousand-dollar proposal.
The approval marks another step forward in the hospital's plans for what officials have described as one of the largest capital improvement projects in Wabash General Hospital's history.