New Medical Building FAQ - Windom Area Health

With the announcement of our upcoming Medical Building, we have had a lot of community interest and wanted to create this space to answer the most frequently asked questions about the project.

Simply click on the questions below to expand the answer section!

Pictured: Rendering of New Medical Building (8-2023)

Reason and Function

Why is Windom Area Health (WAH) doing this project?

What will the new building be for?

There is an empty floor - why is this?

Back in 2016 when we built the addition for the Outreach Services (now Specialty Clinics) and Surgery Department, we never imagined we would need more space as quickly as we did. With services as they are today, the future 2^nd floor is at near capacity. We anticipate within a short amount of time, we will need the third floor for additional physicians and space needs. We do not want space constraints to be an obstacle when it comes to future strategic growth opportunities, which we are always exploring.

Will there be changes to parking to accommodate the growth in services?

Funding and Timeframe

How is the new building being paid for? Will it be using taxpayer dollars?

There will be no taxpayer dollars involved in the upcoming project. While we are owned by the City of Windom, we have always operated as a financially independent entity and will be financing this project on our own. Windom Area Health has its own Governing Board who is responsible for ensuring financial stability and strength of the hospital, and thoroughly evaluating all capital projects.

We are excited to be able to move forward with this project as a result of sound financial decisions and investments over the past several years. Because we are a city owned hospital, our borrowing may impact the debt capacity of the City of Windom so we are mindful of not compromising any of their established projects. Therefore, a full review of the project and financing options will be presented to the City Council in August.

How much is the project going to cost?

How long will the building project take to complete?

Clinic Movement

What will be happening to the current clinics?

We have been working with our current tenants, Sanford Health and Windom Family Medical Center to determine how to best accommodate with the least disruption to their patient care needs during construction.

Windom Area Health has provided an onsite option to Windom Family Medical Center for temporarily relocating clinic to space inside the hospital during the construction.

Sanford Clinics of Windom will vacate the current clinic location on the hospital campus during construction and be consolidated to this location after completion, no longer operating out of 591 2^nd Ave. North.

Avera Clinic/Access Health will remain in their current location and will not be involved in the WAH building project.

What services will be moving over to the new building once complete?