courtesy photo
New IU Health Facility
Burt Borgelt, Kim Robinson, CEO of the YMCA, and Del Newkirk, first executive director of the Brown County Community Foundation.
~ by Bob Gustin
A
former Brown County resident’ s effort to build a lasting memorial to his wife was the spark needed for a new medical center in Nashville, scheduled to open August 14.
The new office near the intersection of Indiana 46 and Maple Leaf Boulevard, north of the Brown County Music Center, will house improved technology and space for visiting specialists.
Burt Borgelt, the major donor for the new facility, now lives in Sarasota, Florida. The facility will be named in honor of his wife Sue, who died about three years ago. Dedication of the facility is scheduled for August 27.
Chip Johnson, chief practice officer for Indiana University Health Southern Indiana Physicians, said the new office is 7,500 square feet and includes sufficient parking.
“ We have incorporated, both in design and finishings, the aesthetics of Brown County.” Johnson said.“ This includes locally sourced sandstone, rotating wall art provided by the Brown County Art Guild, and a mural completed by Burt’ s daughter.”
The Borgelts were also major funders for the YMCA, and the new office is an extension of that project, he said.
Though they moved from Brown County about 20 years ago, the Borgelts continued to donate to the Y. But after Sue died, Burt decided to do something in her memory. In conversations with Kim Robinson, chief
“ Our primary care office has been in Brown County for over 20 years, and we recognized the need for a new facility that would allow for future expansions of programs and services that fit the needs of this community.“
— Chip Johnson
executive officer of the Y, the idea of a new medical facility was born.
Previously, the doctor’ s offices were operated jointly by Columbus Regional Hospital and IU Health on Willow Street adjacent to the YMCA. When CRH withdrew from the facility, there was concern that IU Health would do the same, leaving Brown County without medical care. That’ s when Borgelt stepped in. He purchased the building, now owned by the Y, and donated $ 5 million for the new facility. The IU Health Foundation also donated $ 2 million, Borgelt said.
“ Our primary care office has been in Brown County for over 20 years,” IU Health’ s Johnson said,“ and we recognized the need for a new facility that would allow for future expansions of programs and services that fit the needs of this community. With
16 Our Brown County • July / August 2024