UofL Health–South opens in Bullitt County
SANDWICHED BETWEEN LOUISVILLE to the north and the Fort Knox/Elizabethtown area to the south, Bullitt County is in a state of constant growth.
The more than 100,000 motorists who drive on Interstate 65 through Bullitt County each day can see its economic development, as warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, hotels and restaurants continue to develop.
Not as evident from the interstate is the growth in Bullitt County neighborhoods. Fewer than 20,000 people called the county home in 1950, but it’s been growing ever since. The population rose rapidly, up 13% in the last 15 years, compared with about a 4% increase across Kentucky during the same period.
Now with about 84,000 residents, Bullitt County ranks 10th in the state in population, and until recently was the largest county in Kentucky without an inpatient hospital. That changed in March with the official opening of the new UofL Health–South Hospital, the result of a $78 million, 100,000-square-foot expansion of an outpatient medical center in operation since 2006.
“When access is improved, health is improved—and that is why UofL Health is investing in Bullitt County,” says Tom Miller, UofL Health CEO. “Our mission is to transform the health of our communities, and this hospital allows us to serve more patients with world-class and transformative care.”
Drivers can spot the two new floors of South Hospital because of its location directly off I-65 (Brooks exit 121) in Hillview. The complex has 40 inpatient beds, including a 10-bed intensive care unit, and shell space for an additional 20 beds.
The full-service acute care hospital provides enhanced heart care services, including cardiac and vascular catheterization labs and STEMI Network for faster treatment of acute heart attacks. Expanded emergency capabilities including a “fast track” area for quicker treatment and discharge, expanded cardiopulmonary services, state-of-the art pharmacy, laboratory and sterile processing areas and increased surgical suites for inpatient and outpatient procedures.
Served by Salt River Electric, South Hospital anticipates serving patients from Bullitt, Spencer, Nelson, Meade and Hardin counties, along with southern Jefferson County.
“We are proud to serve many quality businesses and more than 53,000 consumer-members, and we are so grateful to UofL Health for its service and care for our communities,” says Tim Sharp, president and CEO of Salt River Electric.
“This hospital builds on the legacy of care established here for nearly 20 years,” says Dorie Shelburne, UofL Health–South Hospital CEO. “Now, as a full-service community hospital, we will provide much-needed inpatient care. When an overnight hospital stay is required, most patients will be able to stay close to home and closer to their family.”
