Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami broke ground Jan. 23 on a $300 million project that, when complete, will expand its emergency department by four times its current size, making it one of the largest in the nation.
The project will include more than 200 patient rooms, 50 observation rooms, 30 pediatric rooms and six resuscitation rooms, according to a news release sent to Becker's. Jackson Memorial Hospital's ER was built in 1978.
"By doing what we're doing today provides us not just the room we need for today, but it provides us room for the next 10 years as we continue to expect the growth that we're seeing here," the hospital's CEO, Carlos Migoya, told CBS News Miami. The hospital projects it will see about 170,000 ED patients a year by 2036, up from the 100,000 it currently sees.
The expansion is being funded through donations, operating revenue and tax dollars. The first phase is slated to be completed by fall 2025. Pediatrics is expected to be done in 2026.