'Hope and healing': Mercy breaks ground on emergency department in south Springfield

Clinical staff and management participated in a "groundbreaking" for Mercy's new south side emergency department on Friday morning. Each person donned a hard-hat and used a silver shovel to scoop sand in one of four colors — red, yellow, green and blue, the colors in the hospital system's logo — before dumping it back into the sandbox.

Construction on the department will start Oct. 9, according to Chief Nursing Officer Marie Moore, and it is anticipated to open by spring 2025. The emergency department will be on the same campus as the existing orthopedic hospital, 3050 E. River Bluff Blvd.

The 17,256-square-foot facility will serve roughly 16,500 patients per year. It will have 11 beds as well as designated imaging, labs and pharmacy. The project will cost about $32 million with the funding coming from Mercy's strategic capital, according to Mercy Chief Operating Officer John Myers.

Among those who spoke at the groundbreaking, there was excitement over opening an emergency department in an underserved area. While the area has a lot of traffic along U.S. 65 and there's a growing population south of James River Freeway, there aren't many emergency medicine options.

"This expansion represents not just growth in physical space, but growth in our ability to make a difference in the lives of our patients," said Dr. Devin Boss, who will be the medical director for the south Springfield emergency department. "It means more lives saved, more injuries treated, more moments of hope and healing."

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The emergency department will either be a Level 3 or Level 4 center, meaning it will serve patients who require less intense care, such as those needing stitches for a cut or treatment for an allergic reaction. Patients who have more intense injuries, such as broken limbs and internal bleeding from a car accident, or time-sensitive conditions like stroke or heart attack, will be taken to Mercy Hospital Springfield after being stabilized at the south campus's emergency department.

However, it may just be the best place for people who need care for an orthopedic injury, Moore said.

"Let’s say that your sidewalk was icy and you fell and broke your hip or broke your leg. In that instance, if you came to this site, they would confirm the fracture and you might need surgery," Moore said. "Those orthopedic emergencies could potentially be admitted directly to the orthopedic hospital."

Whether or not someone needs to be transferred, the emergency department is bringing health care to a place where it is needed.

"We are really excited about this expansion," Moore said. "We know there is a need in our communities and we want to provide this access to our patients where and when they need it.”

From May: Anticipating future growth, Mercy begins renovating Frisco Building for clinic

Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Mercy breaks ground on new Springfield emergency department