University of Kentucky cancels plans to build hospital in Hamburg

The University of Kentucky has cancelled plans to build a hospital in Lexington’s Hamburg area. Mark Birdwhistell, UK’s senior vice president for Health and Public Policy, broke the news at the state Budget Review Subcommittee on Health and Family Services meeting Wednesday. He said the focus of the proposed hospital was to provide community care, not specialty care.

“That is not what our clinical partners expect of UK HealthCare. They expect that we should be providing advanced care, high end cancer care, not routine hip replacement and procedures like that.”

Birdwhistell said the plan now is to use the 41 acres the university purchased for 39 million dollars for specialty care, as they did at their Turfland site off Harrodsburg Road. He said the new plan will be especially convenient for eastern Kentuckians.

“It's much easier for them to drop off of I-64, 75, park it in a normal spot, go in for a clinic appointment, come out and return home.”

Birdwhistell said specialties there may include cancer and orthopedic care, among others. He said UK Healthcare has issued a request for proposals for a partner to help finance, build and potentially manage the new buildings.

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