Since the start of the year, at least ten hospitals have unveiled plans to invest millions into emergency department expansion efforts. The projects come as emergency department overcrowding and related capacity issues have intensified over the past few months in some regions of the country.
Here are ten large ED expansion projects Becker's has covered since the start of the year, starting with the most recent:
North Knoxville Medical Center in Powell, Tenn., has opened a $68 million four-story patient tower and emergency department. The expanded ED includes a new results waiting area, a fast track area and two new behavioral health suites.
Legacy Health in Portland, Ore., has completed the first phase of a $37 million expansion project at its Legacy Silverton (Ore.) Medical Center, which involved the opening of an expanded ED. The newly renovated space has 20 patient rooms and is part of a larger project to add 21,000 square feet to the existing facility.
On March 11, USA Health Children's and Women's Hospital in Mobile, Ala., opened a $19 million pediatric emergency center. The 19,000-square-foot facility more than doubles its former ED and includes more than 30 treatment areas.
In early March, King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services unveiled plans to build a freestanding ED on the Fletcher-Johnson Campus in Washington, D.C.'s Ward 7 district. The project is part of a larger agreement between the health system and the district to invest $75 million in the area.
Charleston, S.C.-based Trident Health, which is part of HCA, plans to build a $15 million freestanding ED on the campus of its proposed hospital on Johns Island, S.C. Plans for the new ED include 11 patient rooms, in-house diagnostic labs, advanced imaging, as well as stroke and behavioral health telemedicine services. Construction is set to begin later this year.
HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford, part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, plans to open a $15 million freestanding emergency room in March. HCA Florida Casselberry Emergency will have 11 beds and provide a range of emergency services where staff will treat conditions ranging from chest pain to infections.
HCA Florida Osceola Hospital in Kissimmee has opened a $15.5 million freestanding emergency room. HCA Florida Osceola East emergency is an 11,000-square-foot freestanding ER facility with 11 exam rooms and equipment for digital X-rays, CT scans, lab services, ultrasound and pediatrics. It is staffed by 22 full-time workers.
As part of their plans to build a $5 billion pediatric health campus in Dallas' Southwestern Medical District, Children's Health and UT Southwestern Medical Center are expanding ED space by 15%. The 2 million-square-foot hospital will replace the existing Children's Medical Center Dallas and is set to be one of the largest children's hospitals in the U.S. It's slated to open in six to seven years.
Irving, Texas-based Christus Health plans to begin construction on a new emergency hospital campus with a freestanding ED and inpatient beds within the next few months. The campus will be located on the existing Christus Magnolia Medical Plaza Campus in Palestine, Texas. The 20,000-square-foot facility is expected to be complete in the summer of 2025 and will create 40 full-time jobs.
Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami broke ground on a $300 million project that, when complete, will be one of the largest EDs in the nation, spanning 178,000 square feet with more than 200 patient rooms. The first phase is slated to be completed by fall 2025, with the full project expected to wrap in early 2027. Read more about how the hospital is preparing staff to move into a bigger space here.