LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A 30-foot steel beam, decorated with the signatures of UofL Health – UofL Hospital nurses, physicians, administrators and staff, is taking its place in the structural framework of the new UofL Hospital West Tower. Expected completion for the first phase of the $186-million project is early 2025.
“This new tower is an example of UofL Health’s dedication to exceptional care in all of the communities we serve,” said Tom Miller, UofL Health CEO. “As part of our downtown academic medical center campus, UofL Hospital is a hub of specialized care, progressive academic research, innovative treatments and home to the J. David Richardson Trauma Center, the region’s only Level I trauma center for adults. The investment here to meet demand and increase access is necessary.”
The project will increase the downtown Louisville hospital’s operating capacity and facilitate a phased modernization to include more private beds throughout the remainder of the hospital. When complete, UofL Hospital will be able to operate at its licensed inpatient capacity of 404, plus a new 30-bed observation unit, and add six more operating rooms for a total of 23. Alongside the increased clinical space, the expansion will include an enhanced visitor experience with a new lobby, waiting area, chapel, along with updates to the gift shop and coffee shop.
“Every Kentuckian deserves access to quality health care, and the expansion at the downtown facility shows UofL Health’s commitment to providing it,” said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. “This investment is bringing new jobs to the heart of Louisville and will allow UofL Hospital to better serve families across Kentucky.”
The hospital’s expansion will also lead to an expansion of the UofL Health team with approximately 325 new jobs being created. Positions will include nurses, plus clinical and non-clinical support. New hires and their dependents are immediately eligible for free undergraduate tuition, to the University of Louisville.
“Expanding UofL Hospital will help us meet today’s medical needs, but this also is an investment in tomorrow,” said UofL President Kim Schatzel. “This investment will help us grow the numbers of physicians, nurses and other allied health professionals who are so badly needed throughout our state and our country.”
The investments come at during a historic period of time for UofL Hospital, marking its 200th year of providing care in 2024, while continuing to increase access to care in the region, particularly in federally designated medically underserved areas (MUAs). Since UofL Health’s formation, the health care system has opened five Urgent Care Plus locations, added two new locations for the Brown Cancer Center and recruited nearly 700 providers. Two of the urgent cares, a cancer center location and more than 100 physicians are specifically located to serve people living in MUAs.
UofL Health also opened South Hospital in Bullitt County earlier this year and announced the future addition of a Brown Cancer Center location on the campus. In South Louisville, The Birthing Place at Mary & Elizabeth Hospital is slated to open next year.
“Every day, more than 4,000 patients plus health care employees, students and others visit UofL Health and the LOUMED district downtown,” said Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. “We must continue to invest in new and exciting facilities like UofL Hospital’s West Tower, as the future for this important part of our city and local economy is incredibly bright.”
More than 1.5 million patients seek care through UofL Health each year, with patients from each of Kentucky’s 120 counties and southern Indiana. Over the last several years the facility has regularly operated at 90% or more capacity. The combined impact of the additional beds and the observation unit creates room for nearly 100 more patients and reduces wait times as patients transition between different levels of care. The seven-story tower expansion will also include the infrastructure to accommodate two more floors for future growth.
“Our goal as UofL Health nurses, physicians and health care workers is to give members of our community compassionate, innovative and patient-centered care, and this tower will help us do that,” said Shari Kretzschmer, UofL Health Chief Nursing Officer. “Hoisting this beam, signed by those of us here at UofL Hospital who commit to that mission each and every day, both symbolizes and solidifies that responsibility.”
A mixture of internal capital investment, revenue bonds and private donations funded the west tower expansion. Those interested in supporting the project are encouraged to visit: Give.UofLHealthFoundation.org/UofL-Hospital-Tower or call 502-587-4710.
Additional media coverage:
- State, local leaders celebrate construction milestone of new ‘state-of-the-art’ Louisville hospital tower (WDRB)
- UofL Hospital installs final beam to West Tower during dedication (Courier-Journal)
- 30-foot steel beam added to west tower of UofL Hospital in downtown Louisville (WHAS)
- Access Louisville: UofL Health Topping Off (LouisvilleMetroTV)
- UofL Hospital tops off new tower (Louisville Business First)
