O'FALLON, Ill. — An expansion project for a surgery center and medical office building at the St. Elizabeth’s Hospital O’Fallon campus will now include an additional $66 million investment for clinical expansion and infrastructure updates, hospital officials have announced.
Hospital Sisters Health System President and CEO Chris Klay and Chief Operating Officer Mike Janis cited the growing demand for inpatient and emergency care in outlining plans for a total $116 million investment during a press conference Monday.
“Our region needs this investment to keep pace with future health care needs,†Klay said. “We’re excited to bring state-of-the-art care to our ever-evolving community.â€
Klay said that each year, approximately 9,000 adults and 2,000 pediatric patients travel to 911±¬ÁÏÍø for care, not including those requiring trauma or academic medicine at Washington University or 911±¬ÁÏÍø University.
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“This is an opportunity to keep health care closer to home,†Klay said. “We can provide improved access, reduce travel and offer more choice for patients.â€
The newly announced project includes upgrades to the emergency department and inpatient care areas that will modernize 35,000 square feet and add 19,000 square feet to the facility. The expansion site will be adjacent to Green Mount Road, directly north of the main entrance and roundabout.
St. Elizabeth’s, formerly based in Belleville and operated by Hospital Sisters Health System, first opened in O’Fallon on Nov. 4, 2017, and has seen rapid growth since, Klay said. Before the move to O’Fallon, the hospital’s emergency department averaged 70 visits a day; now it averages 180.
Planned Emergency Department enhancements include:
• Eight additional treatment rooms
• A new CT scanner and relocated X-ray for faster diagnostic results
• Registration upgrades to improve staff security
• Inpatient unit changes will add 32 patient rooms and a dedicated education space
• Food and nutrition services will relocate from the fifth floor to the first, with a new kitchen, dining area, retail space and shipping/receiving space.
Outpatient registration will be moved for improved patient access.
Janis said staff and community input was incorporated into the design process. “We wanted them to be part of the process,†he said.
The waiting area will be larger for patients and their families, with a focus on safety. Plans also call for modernization of food and beverage service, including mobile ordering, self-checkout and expanded hours for patients, visitors and staff.
“We want to optimize space and provide easier access,†Janis said.
Completion of the clinical upgrades is expected in 2027. The medical office building and surgical center are expected to be occupied by October 2026.
The new 70,000-square-foot medical office building will have three floors and include a 20,000-square-foot ambulatory surgical treatment center. Features will include four operating rooms, two additional procedure rooms, six post-anesthesia care rooms and 16 prep and recovery stations.
