Final steel beam hoisted into place at new Mercy hospital site - KOAM TV 7

A ceremony Thursday afternoon marked the completion of the steel skeleton of Joplin's new Mercy hospital.

The final beam was hoisted into place bearing the signatures of hundreds of former Mercy coworkers.

Ceremonial flags and an evergreen were also lifted to the top of the structure.

This "topping out" ceremony celebrates the completion of one big phase of construction and the community's continuing progress toward a brighter future.

Mercy Joplin's CEO Gary Pulsipher says today's ceremony had a special meaning for Joplin.

"We want to take every opportunity we can to celebrate the small victories as well pull this thing together and it's still two years out until it's complete," says Pulsipher.  "This is a fairly common practice, I guess, is doing a topping out ceremony like this."

The 875,000 square foot building includes 5,500 tons of structural steel.

Construction is scheduled to be complete in march of 2015.