In a surprise announcement during a citywide healthcare forum in Eugene Thursday evening, the Chief Executive Officer of McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center said plans are in the works to build a 12-bed satellite emergency department in Eugene.
David Butler stood up from the audience to respond to the question of whether or not there is any way the city could get another ER.
“We’ve actually been talking with the Eugene City Mayor and City Manager," Butler told the crowd, as first reported by KVAL. "And we’ve met with the Governor of Oregon and got, kind of the green light, to move forward with a CON, which is a Certificate of Need application."
Butler said Springfield-based McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center has found an investor and developer, as well as an optimal site to build a free-standing, emergency department in Eugene. He said a contract is close to being signed—then the design-build phase would take about 2 1/2 years to complete.
“You know we have two really good hospitals in this community, unfortunately they’re both in Springfield. And even though it doesn’t take you an hour to get across town, still it’s a disadvantage to have to drive all the way over to McKenzie or RiverBend to get health care,” Butler said.
This news comes nearly 10 months after Eugene's only emergency room at the PeaceHealth University District location closed its doors.
