Henrico County, VA – Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital is preparing for one of its most significant developments in its history. The Western Henrico facility, which has served the community since 1966, is set to break ground on a new critical care tower as part of a comprehensive $370 million project aimed at expanding healthcare access and enhancing services for the growing population in the area.
According to Bryan Lee, President of Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital, the new tower is designed to match the talents and expertise of the healthcare professionals working at the hospital. “We’ve got great talents at St. Mary’s, and now we need to have the infrastructure to match the talents of our people,” Lee explained during a recent interview.
The new 200,000 square-foot critical care tower will be a vital part of the hospital’s ongoing mission to provide excellent care to those in need. As Virginia’s only faith-based health system, Bon Secours emphasizes its commitment to serving the community in line with its mission statement. Lee highlighted the role the expansion plays in fulfilling this mission, stating, “At the center of [the vision] is our mission statement of providing good help to those in need.”
The tower will play a crucial role in meeting the increasing demand for critical care services. According to Lee, current ICU bed occupancy is over 80%, and the expansion will double the hospital’s critical care capacity. Although the number of licensed beds will remain at 391, the new facility will privatize all rooms, making it possible to create new critical care beds and optimize the use of existing medical surge beds.
In addition to expanding critical care services for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Neuro, and Cardio ICUs, the project will also include the addition of new laboratories and surgical services. Lee pointed out that the local population is projected to grow by up to 5% over the next five years, with demand for critical care services expected to increase by more than 10%. The hospital’s expansion plan is designed to ensure that the facility can meet these future needs.
The new eight-story tower will feature two floors of “shelled space,” which will be left unfinished to allow for future growth. Lee noted that this flexible space would enable the hospital to add new ICU units or specialty care areas as the need arises.
In addition to the new tower, Bon Secours St. Mary’s will also invest in updating 90,000 square feet of existing campus space. Planned renovations will include aesthetic upgrades and improvements to entryways, as well as the integration of state-of-the-art technology to enhance procedural platforms.
“Bon Secours is really enhancing our procedural platforms with the new modern, state-of-the-art technology that our patients and our community deserve,” Lee said.
Construction on the new critical care tower is set to begin in the summer of 2025, with the tower expected to be completed by the end of 2027. Renovations to the existing facility are slated to take place afterward, with completion projected for 2028. The project promises to significantly strengthen the hospital’s ability to serve the growing community while maintaining its commitment to delivering high-quality, compassionate care.
