Turner Construction has begun work on the Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center’s $900 million hospital expansion in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the contractor announced June 25.
The expansion and renovation, which Geisinger announced in July 2023, will build an 11-story patient tower that will transition the hospital to a 100% private-room facility, according to a Geisinger news release.
The project encompasses approximately 600,000 square feet and will nearly double the hospital’s capacity. Work will touch the facility’s emergency medicine, critical care, trauma care, surgical services and advanced cardiovascular programs.
With this latest investment, Danville, Pennsylvania-based Geisinger, which serves approximately 1.2 million people in the state, has invested about $1.4 billion in Luzerne County and the surrounding area since 2008, the health provider said. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites, including 10 hospital campuses.
The Wyoming Valley investment comes at a time when the need for healthcare access is growing nationally as well as in Pennsylvania. In Northeastern Pennsylvania, for example, the 65 and older population, which generally requires more healthcare, is expected to grow 11% over the next five years.
“By investing in advanced infrastructure, expanding our facilities and acquiring the latest technology, we’re assuring that no one needs to leave northeastern Pennsylvania to get the care they need and deserve,” said Jaewon Ryu, Geisinger’s president and CEO, in the news release.
New York City-based Turner, the nation’s largest contractor by revenue, has been engaged with several healthcare projects recently. It’s currently involved in at least two medical facility joint ventures, one on a $550 million hospital in San Antonio, Texas, and another on a $650 million hospital renovation in Rochester, New York.
The first phase of the Wyoming Valley project in Pennsylvania, encompassing the bed tower and expansion and renovation of the emergency room, is scheduled for completion in 2028. Renovations to other areas of the medical center will continue through 2030.
