Commissioners get update on UKKD, thankful for expansion
ASHLAND Ashland city commissioners received a project summary from UK-King's Daughters CEO Sara Marks during Tuesday evening's meeting, including updates on expansions soon to open by the city's largest employer.
According to Marks, the construction of a new 200,000-square-foot emergency department at the hospital's main campus will be ready to receive patients in June, wrapping up the end of the $160 million and 2 1/2-year rehaul.
A new and centralized main entrance will be open to patients and visitors as early as May 12.
In 2024, Marks said the Ashland campus recorded more than 20,000 hospital admissions, nearly 200,000 urgent care visits and completed about 2.5 million lab procedures, a workload and patient flow that required a major expansion.
Marks said UKKDMC employs about 5,500 people — 4,000 of whom work inside the main Ashland campus.
'We are proud of what you all do,' Mayor Chuck Charles said of Marks's and UKKDMC's impact on the city, calling their development, social programs and community outreach programs the 'backbone' in providing high-level care and quality employment to locals.
Commissioner DJ Rymer said UKKD makes up about 40% of the city's revenue budget as the No. 1 regional employer and asked if anything could be done from city government to assist the medical facility in future expansions.
Marks said as far as employee retention, city officials should continue pursuing solutions to housing issues that could add more rentals and properties to own.
After inquiry from commissioner Tim Renfroe, referencing the emergency department's addition of four new trauma bays, Marks said the hospital receiving a trauma center designation 'isn't out of the realm of possibility,' but isn't something to anticipate in the immediate future.
In other happenings:
• Commissioners approved the purchase of 25 fire hydrants for the Department of Utility Operations, Division of Water Distribution.
Rymer said the move was 'fantastic,' to hopefully combat issues of hydrants in need of replacement in the Catlettsburg area, as the city is responsible for water distribution and hydrant supply and repairing or replacing them throughout the neighboring town.
Mark Hall, Director of Utilities, said adding more hydrants throughout the city and in Catlettsburg have been one of the recent focuses, with the goal to purchase a total of 100 25-count orders in the future.
• The annual Easter Egg Hunt is scheduled for Saturday, April 19, from 11 to noon at Ashland Central Park.
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