Impact Stories

The $3.6 million project will deliver enhanced, streamlined patient care

A new project underway at Ascension Borgess Hospital will result in the transformation of its Burton H. Upjohn Emergency Department (ED) into a streamlined and modernized department that will enable best care for you, our patients, when you are at your most vulnerable.

The $3.6 million renovation project – an investment by generous community donors and the Borgess Foundation – will result in reduced wait times thanks to the ED’s renovated interior space, says Rick Winters, Emergency Department Nursing Director.

“The new space will have a dedicated area for patients with conditions that are less severe and a separate area for those with more urgent conditions,” he says.

“That will provide patients with less wait times in the Emergency Department because staff will be able to efficiently focus on patients in the separate areas – those with minor illnesses or injuries as well as those with urgent conditions.”

The renovation project will occur in three phases to avoid disruption of patient care. The first phase involves the reconfiguration of the ED entrance and waiting room areas.

Updates to the treatment areas will occur during the project’s second phase. The third phase will center on redesigning the staff lounge.

Each phase will last about four months with the entire project scheduled for completion in early 2026. The total square footage under renovation is 4,550. “This project is reimagining the existing space so patients can have a better experience," Winters says.”  Winters adds that patients can also expect more privacy when receiving care in the ED with the addition of extra rooms in the triage area.

The ED currently sees about 100 patients per day. As those numbers continue to increase, so does the need for an ED where patients can be seen more quickly.

“With the improved efficiency of the renovated department, we can expand our ability to meet the community’s needs,” Winters says. “Our aim at Ascension Borgess is to continue to evolve in ways to best serve the community. Reimagining the ED is one way in which we continually adapt to deliver the best care to our patients.”