Mercy receives $1.5M for temporary medical offices - KOAM TV 7

FEMA announced today that Mercy Health of Joplin will receive more than $1.5 million for temporary medical offices so the hospital can provide medical services while they rebuild what was destroyed in last year's tornado.

Officials say Mercy's new building is on schedule to be completed in March of 2015.  The foundation will be complete in about three weeks then crews will begin the steel construction phase.

"They are going to be challenged - they have a lot of guys from Tulsa, Joplin and Kansas City they are bringing in to do this work - there are not enough iron workers in Joplin to take care of it," says Project Manager Stephen Meuschke.  "We have tapped Joplin for iron workers and we have to go outside to get them."

Construction crews say they have had to deal with some heat issues because of the hot weather.