Banner Boswell ED Construction Builds Momentum with Generosity for Generations Campaign
This past fall, festivities celebrated milestones in the Emergency Department (ED) transformation at Banner Boswell Medical Center. The Sun Health Foundation team joined staff at Banner Boswell to kick off a year-long celebration leading up to its 50th anniversary and the opening of the ED and patient-care tower next fall. Everyone signed the I-beam Topper that will be placed in the new ED during the Topping Out planned tentatively for February.
With the statuesque Tower Crane in place, construction is gaining momentum. Recent progress, as of November 2019, includes completion of the concrete foundation, placement of load-bearing steel girders, and construction of the structural framework for both the ED and six-story patient tower above it. It’s an exciting site to behold.
During the fall, Sun Health Foundation’s “Reaching New Heights” event also occurred next to the construction site, providing the opportunity for a select group of Foundation friends to walk the site as part of a behind-the-scenes tour.
The exciting ED transformation is being funded largely by community support through the Foundation’s Generosity for Generations Campaign. This $34 million Campaign initiative will help make possible a new 40,000-square-foot ED, providing much-needed space to accommodate 65,000 patient visits per year (from the current 45,000). Enhancements include the addition of 33 percent more patient beds and faster, easier access to emergency care for the community, and other operational improvements.
To ensure that the new, larger ED is ready for patients ahead of next year’s winter season, crews are using a relatively new and innovative construction technique that is expected to shave approximately three months off the project’s construction timeline. This involves the use of pre-fabricated interior and exterior wall panels. These panels are constructed off site while the steelwork is being completed. As the steelwork nears completion, the panels are being delivered to the job site to begin installation.
The opening of the ED and patient care tower will coincide with Banner Boswell’s 50th anniversary, aptly themed Generations of Caring. Festivities are being planned for November 2020. Stay tuned for more information!
Community support continues to be needed and we invite you to learn more. For more information on supporting this and other Campaign initiatives, visit www.SunHealthFoundation.org/Generosity or call (623) 471-8500.