By Michael Motes

Three years of planning and over 70 years of service were behind the groundbreaking ceremony at St. Mary's Hospital in Athens last month as earth was turned to launch construction of a new, three-story wing on the front of the existing building.

The new wing will feature a pediatrics unit and will provide larger working areas and outpatient services in the existing facilities. Another addition will be a six-story elevator with a cross. The elevator will serve both the new wing and the present building.

The top floor of the addition will house a 14-bed pediatrics unit with all private rooms. Radiology, physical therapy and occupational therapy will transfer to the second floor of the new wing. The ground floor will house admissions, the lobby, coffee and gift shop and administrative offices.

As part of the expansion program, the existing surgery suite will be enlarged to handle more surgical procedures and to provide a more efficient arrangement of the surgery area. At the request of surgeons on St. Mary's staff, a surgical intensive care unit will be added.

Larger working areas will be provided for the laboratory, respiratory therapy and ambulance services. In addition, special cardiac, trauma and orthopedic observation rooms will be added to the existing emergency services and a new ambulance entrance will be established apart from the emergency entrance.

Also on the main floor of the present building, other special rooms for examinations, personnel and equipment will be constructed for the purpose of conducting outpatient diagnostic services as requested by the medical staff.

According to Edward J. Fechtel, Jr., Administrator of St. Mary's hospital, the expansion program is needed "as part of the continuing effort to intensify the level of patient care services, particularly in diagnostic and treatment areas."

Plans for the new wing began in the early part of 1975, when the hospital engaged a nationally-recognized firm of hospital consultants to conduct studies and develop projections regarding the future needs of the hospital. Results from the study indicated that "a significant expansion program" should be undertaken.

The HBE Corporation of St. Louis, the world's largest design/build firm specializing in hospitals, is in charge of the project. The construction has begun and completion of the three-story wing is expected by October 1989. The renovation project should be completed by June 1980, according to Fechtel.

"The primary goal of St. Mary's Hospital always has been to provide the best facilities, equipment and skilled personnel needed to render comprehensive and compassionate health care to all who come to St. Mary's," the Administrator said.

"Our new plan will greatly enhance our ability to provide patient care services of high quality. Special attention has been given to maximizing the use of additional space to be provided by this expansion project, which is designed not only to provide additional physical space, but also to alleviate the overcrowding that has developed in some of the ancillary departments.

"We are enthusiastic about the enhancement of our facilities that this expansion program will make possible. With these new facilities and with the addition of many new specialists on the medical staff of our hospital, we re-dedicate ourselves to the goal of providing Athens-area residents with the highest quality of hospital care possible. The need to rely on medical centers in other areas of the state will be correspondingly reduced," Fechtel added.

The original St. Mary's Hospital opened in 1907 in Athens, when Drs. H. M. Fullilove and J. P. Proctor began a hospital in a residence on North Milledge Avenue. The hospital's capacity was 10 beds and Athens had a population of 10,000.

In 1918, the building was moved to another location on the North Milledge property and a four-story brick and concrete wing was built. Six years later, Dr. Proctor was killed in an automobile accident and Dr. Fullilove continued to operate the hospital alone until his death in 1935.

In 1937, St. Mary's Hospital was closed. The following year, at the request of civic and medical groups, Archbishop Gerald P. O'Hara obtained the services of the Sacred Heart Sisters to operate the hospital, which had grown to a bed capacity of 45.

Construction on the present hospital at 1230 Baxter Street began in 1963 and the 139-bed facility opened in 1966.

At last month's groundbreaking for the new wing, guests included the hospital's Board of Directors and its community advisory committee, the Missionary Sisters, medical staff officers, officers of St. Mary's Auxiliary, department heads and a representative of the HBE Corporation. Invited guests were members of the clergy, building fund contributors and community leaders. Monsignor John F. McDonough, vicar general of the archdiocese, represented Archbishop Donnellan at the ceremony and blessed the ground.