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OrthoWorx on Thursday announced plans to test the feasibility of building a specialty orthopedics hospital in Warsaw.
The details – including who will do the study and when – are still up in the air, said Brad Bishop, OrthoWorx executive director.
The Warsaw-based non-profit, founded in 2009, supports the orthopedics industry by strengthening the surrounding community.
“We’re just at the start of this process,” he said.
Bishop expects OrthoWorx will hire consultants experienced in the medical field to study the market and make a recommendation.
He declined to reveal the organization’s budget for the feasibility report.
The hospital’s three main functions would be to provide patient care, research facilities and education opportunities, he said.
The Kosciusko County orthopedic cluster includes the Big Three in Warsaw: DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., Zimmer Holdings Inc. and Biomet Inc.
Although Bishop expects the manufacturers would do research at the proposed hospital, he doesn’t expect they would underwrite its construction.
Kosciusko’s orthopedic industry players combined to produce a $3.7 billion impact on the economy in 2009, according to study results released in April 2011.
“The magnitude of the impact countywide is greater than I expected,” Bishop said at the time. “It underscores how important the cluster is to the community.”
Two orthopedic hospitals in Fort Wayne now serve the region: The Orthopaedic Hospital at Parkview North and The Orthopedic Hospital, which is owned and operated by Lutheran Health Network.
Bishop said his organization’s initial research showed Kosciusko residents go to Fort Wayne, South Bend or Elkhart for surgery.
One goal is to determine whether there is enough demand to support another orthopedic hospital.
Joe Dorko, president and CEO of Lutheran Health Network, expressed interest in the project.
In a written statement, the executive said it makes sense to reinvest in the regional economy and to add a research and development component.
“Since OrthoWorx is now a member of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, along with our hospitals, we look forward to working in collaboration with all parties as the feasibility study progresses,” Dorko said.
A Parkview Health spokesman declined to comment.
The Orthopaedic Hospital at Parkview North cost $17 million to construct in 2002.
Parkview officials in 2009 received zoning approval for a $16 million expansion that would add almost 31,000 square feet, including two operating rooms.
