Officials with Cox Medical Center Branson are preparing to showcase the $30 million expansion of its Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit.
The first phase of the 60,000 square foot complex is set to open to patients in late September, roughly a year after construction began. An open house is planned for later this month.
William Mahoney, president of Cox Medical Center Branson, said in a news release that the 2013 merger of Skaggs Regional Medical Center with the CoxHealth system promised investment from the company in the hospital and Taney and Stone county communities.
“Over the past 20 months, there have been numerous improvements including aggressive physician recruitment, equipment purchases and building maintenance. Our emergency department and critical care unit expansion is by far the most visible of these improvements and one more way CoxHealth is continuing to make good on their promise,” Mahoney said.
Cox Branson says its current emergency department serves approximately 37,000 patients each year. The new space will allow for future growth and treatment of up to 60,000 patients annually, plus allow employees to work more efficiently.
“We are also improving work flow, which will ensure patients are not sitting in our waiting rooms sick and hurting, but that they are going back to a room right away and getting care quicker,” Mahoney continued. “Our new critical care unit will include 20 private rooms, and each one with an incredible view of the Ozarks.”
Once the new 42,000-square-foot addition, or first phase opens, the current emergency department and critical care unit will close for renovation. It is anticipated the 18,000-square-foot renovation project will be completed before the holiday season.
The community open house is scheduled for Saturday, September 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.