Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, several hospitals have forged ahead with costly renovations, improvements and expansions.
Here are 11 hospital projects so far in 2021 with price tags higher than $1.5 billion, as reported by Becker's:
1. Massachusetts General Hospital
Cost: $2 billion
Project: Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston received approval from the Boston Planning Development Agency board for a 1 million-square-foot expansion that includes two patient care towers, additional beds and new facilities for cardiac and cancer patients.
2. University of California San Diego Medical Center
Cost: $2.5 billion
Project: University of California San Diego Medical Center is seeking approval to renovate its medical campus, which would include a new hospital, a six-floor outpatient pavilion, 1,000 units of housing and 1,900 parking spots.
3. Penn Medicine
Cost: $1.6 billion
Project: Penn Medicine is opening a new 17-story hospital in Philadelphia at the end of October, which will have 504 private patient rooms and 47 operating rooms.
4. U.S. Veterans Affairs medical complex
Cost: $2 billion
Project: The U.S. Veterans Affairs medical complex in Aurora, Colo., has been creating an 11-building hospital campus.
5. OSU Wexner Medical Center
Cost: $1.79 billion
Project: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus is constructing a hospital that will have about 820 beds in private rooms and will enhance research, clinical training and patient care.
6. Loma Linda University Medical Center
Cost: $1.5 billion
Project: Loma Linda (Calif.) University Medical Center opened a new medical campus in August of 1 million square feet. It features a 16-story, 320-bed hospital for adults and a nine-story expansion of the children's hospital.
7. Nationwide Children's Hospital
Cost: $3.3 billion
Project: Columbus, Ohio-based Nationwide Children's Hospital provided a strategic plan in June to build new facilities and advance pediatric care. It will also add an inpatient hospital tower that mirrors the current building.
8. UPMC
Cost: $2 billion
Project: Pittsburgh-based UPMC is building three digitally centered specialty hospitals, including the UPMC Heart and Transplant Hospital, UPMC Hillman Cancer Hospital, and UPMC Vision and Rehabilitation Hospital.
9. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Cost: $11.5 billion
Project: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., is expanding on patient care through its six-year project to improve cancer-focused research and clinical care. It will also research illnesses like sickle cell disease and upgrade technology.
10. UC Davis Health
Cost: $3.75 billion
Project: Sacramento, Calif.-based UC Davis Health is planning to invest in a 16-bed inpatient hospital and a five-story pavilion, which will house 700 licensed beds.
11. Destination Medical Center
Cost: $5.6 billion
Project: Destination Medical Center, backed by Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic, is planning on a six-district site with new offices, housing, hotels, restaurants, schools, shops, public space and transportation.