On Sept. 26, Mercy Hospital South held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the expansion and redesign of its entire emergency department. The event included a blessing by Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski.

The $75 million dollar redesign will expand the existing emergency department from 39,000 square feet to 65,000 square feet. The additional space will enable caregivers to better serve patients by providing:

• 73 patient beds, up from 61 beds
• 6 trauma bays, each twice the size of existing trauma bays
• 13-bed behavioral health area
• Smaller pods of rooms, similar to an intensive care unit (ICU), which will provide nurses direct line of sight to each patient
• Larger waiting area

The project is scheduled to take about two and a half years, with completion expected in spring 2027. The emergency department will remain open and serve patients throughout construction. Ambulances will be directed to a temporary ambulance entrance for portions of the project. Patients arriving by car will be directed to a new, temporary emergency entrance with a temporary waiting area.

To create the additional space for the expansion, the footprint of the emergency department will be extended north toward Kennerly Road into what is currently the emergency department parking lot, requiring the closure of that lot and reassignment of some parking spaces. To provide space for construction crews, the main drive will be temporarily narrowed from the existing four lanes to one lane in one direction, restricted to ambulance traffic only. Detours around this restricted area will be in place to allow patients, visitors, and co-workers to reach every part of campus. However, drivers are strongly encouraged to enter campus on the same side as their destination.

Details and updates on this project are available at mercy.net/SouthER.