Bon Secours breaks ground on $200M tower in Newport News

Bon Secours broke ground Tuesday on a $200 million, four-story patient tower at its Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News, a project that will expand emergency and critical care capacity and modernize the facility.

The 144,000-square-foot tower will feature redesigned main and emergency entrances meant to improve access and make it easier for patients and their families to navigate the hospital. The health system expects construction on the tower to be completed in 2028.

“This project represents more than an investment in infrastructure. It is an investment in people,” Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital President Alan George said in a statement. “It gives our care teams the space, tools and flexibility they need to deliver exceptional outcomes, while creating a more seamless and supportive experience for patients and families. From welcoming new life to supporting those who need us most, this tower brings together clinical excellence and a deeply human approach.”

The expansion will double the emergency department’s capacity from 15 to 30 beds, with 10 additional observation beds aimed at improving patient flow and reducing wait times. The project also includes a new labor and delivery unit to support mothers, babies and their families, as well as an expanded neonatal intensive care unit, growing from eight to 10 rooms.

Critical care services will be upgraded with a new ICU and a “universal care” model that allows patients to remain in the same unit during all stages of care. The tower will also add larger, more modern patient rooms designed for comfort, privacy and family presence at the bedside.

It was not made immediately clear how many new jobs would come with the expansion.

In a statement, Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones said the project “will ensure residents continue to have access to high-quality care where they live, work and play.”

Bon Secours operates four hospitals and medical centers and one outpatient facility in Hampton Roads, and the Bon Secours Richmond Health System offers a network of seven acute hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, ambulatory care sites and continuing care facilities across a 24-locality region.