UK Breaks Ground On New Albert B. Chandler Hospital

June 2007

Recently the University of Kentucky held the official groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the beginning of on-site activity for the new Albert B. Chandler Hospital. The state-of-the-art healthcare facility is designed to accommodate future growth and technological advancements, and will be the tallest structure on UK’s campus. Members of the GBBN design team were in attendance for the big event, as were University, local and state officials. With fences already containing a majority of the site, the event was held near what will be the footprint for the new facility, in excess of one million square feet of space.

The larger than expected crowd included local media interested in seeing the renderings of the new facility and hear Dr. Michael Karpf, Executive Vice President of Health Affairs, discuss how he came to Kentucky and the importance of the facility, not just to the University, but for the Commonwealth of Kentucky overall. According to Dr. Karpf, the new facility would give Kentuckians access to a higher level of care and treatment locally, so no matter what they’re illness, they won't have to travel out of state for treatment. He also stressed the importance of the new facility, how it will be able to touch many Kentuckians lives directly. Following the opening remarks, UK President Lee Todd and Gov. Ernie Fletcher also took the stage, echoing Dr. Karpf's message on the value that the new hospital will bring to Kentucky.

The facility will include:

  • Nursing Units (192 private patient room beds, 12-bed ICUs and six 20-bed med/surgery nursing units)
  • Emergency Department
  • Hyperbaric Treatment
  • (2) MRI/Imaging units in one suite
  • (2) new CT scans
  • (2) Digital X-Ray suites
  • Diagnostic and Treatment Department
  • Interventional Suite
  • Same-day surgery intake and stage two recovery
  • Central sterile supply department

Patients and visitors to the new facility will find a number of amenities available for their use while on the beautiful healthcare campus:

  • New chapel
  • New lobby and entrance
  • Counseling
  • 300-seat auditorium
  • Outdoor courtyard and dining patio
  • Six-level, 1,600 parking garage. There will be a loading zone for an internal shuttle bus to transport both visitors and patients.

Construction has already begun on early site utilities, with the structure for the temporary Emergency Department scheduled to begin soon. The new hospital is scheduled to be complete in January 2011, with occupancy beginning in August 2010 after completion of the Emergency Department.