Bon Secours holds topping out ceremony for new emergency department at St. Francis Downtown

Bon Secours St. Francis is celebrating a milestone in its efforts to expand emergency care services at St. Francis Downtown. A small group of hospital staff gathered for a topping-off ceremony to watch as the final beam was placed on top of the hospital’s new 45,000 square foot emergency department (ED).

Many of the hospital’s frontline workers were given the chance to sign the beam, ahead of today’s topping out ceremony. The construction – which is part renovation and part new construction – will relocate the ED and quintuple the unit’s current space.

The new ED will have 42 rooms and accommodate 75,000 visits annually. Its design will include the following to help provide the most efficient and personalized emergency care for all types of patients:

• “Fast-track” rooms to separate less acute care cases from higher acuity emergencies, ensuring patients can be cared for and discharged at the appropriate rate
• Holding rooms for patients waiting on results from laboratory work
• Senior-friendly services, such as large lettering, bright lights and neutral colors
• Behavioral health rooms for mental health emergencies
• New equipment to allow labs and radiology to be completed in the ED, providing faster turnaround times

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bon Secours St. Francis has remained committed to keeping the renovation and expansion project on track.

“Following a very difficult year, this topping off ceremony is an exciting reminder of a bright future. The goals of this project will help us continue carrying out our mission of being good help to those in need. With the city of Greenville growing exponentially each day, this expansion will allow Bon Secours to grow along with and care for our community as the number of people needing our services increases,” said Greta Gue, administrative director of emergency services for Bon Secours

The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2021.

Bon Secours St. Francis – Greenville

Bon Secours St. Francis is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, one of the 20 largest health systems in the United States and the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the country. The ministry’s quality, compassionate care is provided by more than 60,000 associates serving communities in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia, as well as throughout Ireland. Bon Secours St. Francis – Greenville provides compassionate medical care to thousands of area residents through Bon Secours St. Francis Downtown and Bon Secours St. Francis Eastside, as well as a network of primary and specialty care practices, and ambulatory care sites across the Greenville region. Consistent with its commitment to serve each patient with dignity, Bon Secours Mercy Health provides nearly $2 million per day in community benefit. The mission of Bon Secours St. Francis – Greenville is to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of our communities and bring good help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved. For more information, visit BonSecours.com.