Summer 2020 has been the summer of progress at Madonna’s Lincoln Campus. A massive slab of asphalt that used to be designated employee parking is now a graded out dirt field peppered with construction flags. The old main entrance off a busy South Street has been bulldozed and a new paved entryway has been laid. There’s now additional parking on the north side of the building. Some trees were lost on the property, but there are plans to replace them. The new trees are just the beginning.
Madonna started making way for its largest construction project on the Lincoln Campus to date, a $57 million expansion and renovation, in May. On Friday, August 20, the hospital symbolically marked the start of its new chapter with a formal groundbreaking ceremony.
“Simply put, the expansion will create a state-of-the-art campus that truly matches Madonna’s national reputation,” said Dr. Paul Dongilli Jr., Ph.D., Madonna president and CEO. “It will affirm Madonna’s position as a recognized leader in world-class rehabilitation and an anchor of healthcare in Lincoln.”
Dongilli, alongside dignitaries including Archbishop George Lucas, Nebraska Lt. Governor Mike Foley, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce president Wendy Birdsall and others, addressed a socially-distanced audience of approximately 30 people outside the construction fence. Nearly every of the event’s six guest speakers shared a personal connection they have with Madonna and the world-class rehabilitation provided by our expert clinical teams.
“Madonna is advancing Nebraska’s reputation as a state synonymous with world class healthcare,” said Tony Goins, Director of Nebraska’s Department of Economic Development. “Four years ago my college daughter was hit by an 18-wheeler filled with gasoline in North Carolina. She would not be where she is today if it were not for Madonna.”
The project not only solidifies Madonna’s commitment to Lincoln, but to the state of Nebraska, where it has served individuals from all 93 counties.
“God works through His instruments, like His instruments right here at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital,” said Lt. Governor Foley. What an exciting day for the entire state of Nebraska and beyond.”
Because Madonna’s patients come from all over the country, being able to create a warm, inviting environment for both patients and their families was the driving force behind the need for Madonna to invest in its Lincoln Campus and overall organization —an organization that has cared for patients from 45 of the 50 U.S. states since 2015. Not only will a modernized campus better align with the quality care offered at the hospital, it will make patients more comfortable and ultimately lead to better outcomes.
The project, as previously announced in December 2019, includes a 112,000 sq. ft., 3-story, patient wing expansion complete with 59 state-of-the-art patient suites, on-site family amenities, a new recreation therapy area and new kitchen and dining space. Outside, the campus will feature several outdoor gardens to be utilized in daily therapies and recreationally with family members. Additionally, 50,000 sq. ft. of current space will be renovated to improve outpatient registration and other support areas.
“Experience has shown that a warm and inviting environment, both in and out of daily therapies, is critical to providing a positive patient experience,” said Lauren Pugliese, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital board treasurer whose family has been involved with the hospital for 30 years. “The result will be a rehabilitation experience that improves patient outcomes and prepares individuals to return not only to their communities but to their life roles.”
This fall, Sampson Construction, a Lincoln-based company, will begin to erect the framework of the expansion. Two more Lincoln-based companies, Davis Design and Olsson, are assisting with design and engineering. At the current rate, the overall project is expected to be finished in January 2023.
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