Bon Secours leaders and associates joined together for a “Pop the Top” celebration to mark the kickoff of construction on a vertical expansion of Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center in Chesterfield County. The nearly 179,000-square-foot renovation and expansion includes the addition of 55 acute care beds, including nine obstetrical beds, four intensive care beds, 42 medical/surgical beds, 10 observation beds and an ancillary services expansion through the renovation of existing hospital space as well as a two-story vertical expansion.

“We are thrilled to mark the official kickoff of construction of our hospital expansion today as we continue our pursuit to better meet the growing health care needs of our patients in Chesterfield County and the surrounding areas,” said Joe Wilkins, president of Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center. “These additional beds will provide greater capacity and access for our patients and will ultimately enable Bon Secours to continue to provide quality, compassionate care for this growing community now and well into the future.”

Chesterfield County is the fastest-growing county in the Richmond metropolitan area. St. Francis Medical Center is located in the heart of this large area of population growth in Midlothian, and it serves patients in surrounding counties, including Chesterfield, Powhatan, Amelia and Cumberland/Nottoway. St. Francis’ planned expansion is a response to an increased need for inpatient beds from patients for medical, surgical, obstetrical and intensive care, stemming in part from increased complexity of inpatient services and population growth, especially growth in the population of ages 65 and older who require more inpatient care than other age groups. This expansion will help meet a growing need for the community and will increase access to the hospital’s innovative resources, outstanding clinical staff and exceptional patient care.

This project, totaling 178,869 square feet, will involve the renovation of 69,169 square feet of existing space as well as 109,700 square feet of new construction. New construction will include a two-story expansion over the current critical care tower. This expansion will increase the hospital’s capacity to a total of 185 licensed beds and will include the following:

  • Expansion of obstetrical beds from 21 to 30 beds
  • Expansion of intensive care beds from 16 to 20
  • Expansion of NICU from 10 open bays to 11 private rooms and three bays
  • Expansion of medical/surgical services by adding 42 new medical/surgical beds
  • Addition of 10 observation beds which will allow for clinical decision care to be provided on a dedicated unit, reducing the number of observation patients occupying a licensed inpatient bed
  • Expansion of pre-admission testing, which will allow Bon Secours to see additional patients more efficiently before surgery to support improved surgical outcomes
  • Relocation of an open MRI to St. Francis Medical Center’s campus, which will be the only Bon Secours open MRI south of the James River

This $108 million expansion received Certificate of Public Need (COPN) approval in 2019, and construction is expected to be complete in early 2024.

Earlier this year, Bon Secours broke ground on an 11-bed freestanding emergency department located 19 miles away in Chester that will serve as an extension of St. Francis Medical Center. This will be the fourth freestanding ED operated by Bon Secours in Richmond, which is expected to open in 2022.