Janesville residents won’t have to drive far to seek additional health care services in the near future, as Dean Health Systems and SSM Health Care of Wisconsin, the parent company of St. Mary’s Hospital, announced Thursday plans to build a new $140 million hospital in southern Wisconsin.

SSM's chief executive, Sister Mary Jean Ryan, described the timing of the announcement to build in Janesville as "difficult," particularly in the wake of the decision to close the Blue Island’s St. Francis Hospital.

"However, the Janesville hospital has been in the planning stages for years and capital for the project was approved by SSM Health Care in July of 2007," she said in an internal memo provided to the Tribune.

 “Janesville residents are asking for -- and deserve -- more health care options closer to home. In partnership with SSM Health Care of Wisconsin and St. Mary's, we have been listening to, working with and investing in communities in Wisconsin for nearly 100 years. We are proud of our roots in Janesville and committed to developing a medical campus that meets the changing needs of the area,” said Dr. Craig Samitt, Dean Health Systems president and CEO, in a statement.
 

The new 50-bed hospital will be located near Interstate 90 and Highway 11 and it is expected to open in 2010 and employ 350 people. The hospital will feature private rooms and a state-of-the-art emergency department, SSM said, adding that it is also planning a new $200 million hospital in Missouri’s state capital, Jefferson City, which is scheduled to open in 2012.

The hospital will also offer services like cardiology, obstetrics, gynecology, endocrinology, orthopedics and pediatrics.