Southeast Health’s current expansion project has increased by $15 million with the two more floors being added to the emergency department and patient tower.

The Houston County Health Care Authority recently approved the additional funding, which will bring the total number of patient floors above the emergency department to four. The original two floors, with 52 patient beds, will be completed as part of the current expansion project in 2028.

An exterior shell structure will be completed for the third and fourth patient floors. The interior will be finished out at a later time, potentially adding another 52 patient beds to the facility.

“As we’ve experienced tremendous growth, the board’s foresight in planning ahead to build the structural capacity for two additional patient floors will allow us to better serve our community,” said Rick Sutton, CEO of Southeast Health.

The emergency department and patient tower expansion, currently under construction with an estimated cost of approximately $96 million, will double the number of treatment spaces in the current emergency department, increasing its capacity to treat up to 75,000 patients annually. The initial expansion project is the hospital’s largest construction investment since the hospital was established in 1957.