Historic Green Bay Area Hospitals to Receive Sweeping Upgrades
By Fay Harvey
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, the only hospital on Green Bay’s west side, will undergo a large transformation and expansion this summer.
The project is part of an overarching $270 million investment from HSHS, a nonprofit healthcare provider with locations in Central and Southern Illinois and Eastern Wisconsin, to provide greater healthcare access in the region.
“This investment is HSHS’s response to a need for greater access to healthcare in Green Bay,” said Bob Erickson, CEO and Wisconsin market president of HSHS, in a statement. “With projected population growth, an aging population and a growing number of patients traveling to Green Bay from afar to seek health care, we see a significant need to open more access to patients who want to receive care from us.”
The expansion will also help hospital staff to better manage an influx of patients, as Green Bay becomes a regional hotspot for healthcare. The 125-year-old St. Mary’s hospital is a staple not only for locals, but also for patients in need of specialty services who often travel from different parts of the state and region, such as Fond du Lac, Wis., and the upper peninsula of Michigan, according to John Wagner, HSHS COO, in a statement.
A new tower will be built on St. Mary’s campus to provide more than 100 intermediate and intensive care beds. The existing intensive care unit will receive more operating and procedural rooms as well as wider corridors and expanded space. The redesign will include ample glazing, introducing an abundance of natural light in both clinical and public areas. Additional parking and entry points will be added to create greater access to the hospital campus.
“We are taking a very mindful approach to the design plans to ensure we are creating a more spacious environment that promotes health and healing to the highest level and enhances the overall experience for all who come through our doors,” said Wagner in a statement.
Renovations are slated to conclude in 2028, and patient care will not be interrupted during construction.
In addition to the St. Mary’s project, HSHS St. Vincent Hospital will also undergo expansion and renovation, with details pending release. Built in 1888, St. Vincent was Green Bay’s first hospital. Today, it stands as a Level II Trauma Center, Comprehensive Stroke Center, a Women and Infants Center and Green Bay’s only children’s hospital. Plans for the healthcare facility’s remodel and expansion have not yet been announced.
“In a time when the healthcare landscape is changing quicker than we can blink, HSHS stands strong and stable,” said Erickson in a statement. “We are here for the long haul, and very excited to be investing in the Green Bay community and furthering our commitment to care for you all for many more years to come.”