ERIE, Pa., Dec. 15, 2016 – UPMC Hamot officials today announced that they will begin construction on the largest project in the hospital’s 135-year history and continue to build on the promise to deliver world-class health care to the Erie region.

 

“Our new $111 million patient care tower will transform the landscape of health care in Erie and will accommodate increasing patient volumes and demand for our services,” said Jim Fiorenzo, president of UPMC Hamot. “This expansion project, known as Project 20/20, reflects our continued commitment to our patients, our employees and our community.”

 

The seven-story, 177,000 square-foot building will be located at the site of the current Professional Building at 104 East Second Street, situated between the main hospital and Magee-Womens, UPMC Hamot. The project will include accommodations for 64 ICU beds, an expansion of the current imaging department, upgrades to the central plant and shell space for the campus master plan.

 

“When the new facility is complete, UPMC’s investment in UPMC Hamot will have exceeded $300 million in capital and physician recruitment since our affiliation in 2011,” said David Gibbons, chief operating officer for UPMC Hamot. “Presently, 30 percent of our patients live outside of Erie County. It’s important that our plans include future growth projections as that number will only increase as we expand our services and specialties.”

 

The average daily census at UPMC Hamot for the first quarter of this fiscal year was 13 percent higher than it ever has been, according to Fiorenzo.

 

“It is welcomed news for the medical staff and our patients, and it is exciting to be able to practice medicine in a hospital with a very rich tradition of excellent local leadership and compassionate care, that also is part of a nationally ranked academic medical center and strong hospital network,” said Greg Beard, D.O., president of the UPMC Hamot medical staff and medical director of the John E. Britton Shock Trauma Center. 

 

Offices in the Professional Building will be relocated, and construction is scheduled to start on the new facility in early 2018. A completion date of late 2020 is expected.

 

Today’s announcement follows news earlier this month about a new affiliation with WCA in Jamestown, New York, now known as UPMC Chautauqua WCA, the first hospital outside of Pennsylvania to join the UPMC network; and the final approval of an adult kidney transplant program making UPMC Hamot the only hospital in the region to perform transplants. UPMC Hamot also recently expanded its new OB/GYN services with the opening of its third Magee-Womens Specialty Center on West Ridge Road this month.