Special to Iredell Free News

Construction of Iredell Memorial Hospital’s emergency department and critical care unit expansion is on track for 2024 completion.

Iredell Health System is expanding the hospital emergency department by 4,805 square feet and the critical care unit (CCU) by 11,195 feet. The project will also include the renovation of the existing CCU.

In the ED, drywall installation is 75 percent complete, and painting is scheduled to begin in the next couple of weeks. Overhead utility work is approaching completion in the behavioral health rooms, with above ceiling inspections scheduled for next week.

In the CCU, exterior walls have been insulated, and electrical installations are in progress. Drywall installation is also underway on the exterior walls. Interior wall framing for the corridors and patient rooms began last week. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing overhead work is also in progress.

On the building’s exterior, the brick veneer installation is to be completed by the end of the year. HVAC installations and roof work is in progress. The final foundation wall and preparation for the exterior sidewalks and exit ramp is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks.

The ED expansion will include the addition of 10 new treatment spaces, including several new exam rooms, three spacious critical care rooms for patients needing that level of care upon entering the emergency department, as well as four secure behavioral health holding rooms, with a special entrance and exit for patient privacy.

Iredell Memorial Hospital’s CCU currently has 16 rooms. After the expansion, the CCU will have 27 total rooms, with four rooms containing special bariatric ceiling lifts. The lifts make it easier for caregivers to safely lift and transfer all patients. Additionally, all 11 of the new rooms are capable of transforming into negative pressure isolation rooms, in case of a surge of a highly contagious disease, like COVID-19.

In the second phase of the project, the existing CCU will be renovated with all new state-of-the-art equipment, beds, and larger patient rooms.

The ED expansion is estimated to be completed in the first quarter of 2024, and CCU expansion completed in June. The existing CCU is projected to be entirely renovated by the end of 2024.

Rodgers Builders Inc. is the general contractor for the project.

“Rodgers has done an incredible job and is still on schedule for summer 2024 completion. This state-of-the-art expansion will be great for patients, staff, and the community as Iredell Health System continues to meet the growing needs of Iredell County,” said Scott Graham, director of engineering and building operations at Iredell Health System.

About Iredell Health System

Iredell Health System includes Iredell Memorial Hospital; Iredell Mooresville; two urgent care centers; Iredell Home Health; Iredell Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center; Community and Corporate Wellness; Occupational Medicine; the Iredell Physician Network and more. Iredell Memorial Hospital is the largest and only nonprofit hospital in Iredell County. The comprehensive healthcare facility has 247 beds; more than 1,800 employees; and has 260 physicians representing various specialties. Centers of excellence include Women’s and Children’s; Cardiovascular; Cancer; Surgical Services and Wellness & Prevention. The Health System’s second campus, Iredell Mooresville, is home to the area’s only 24-hour urgent care facility, as well as an ambulatory surgery center, imaging center, rehabilitation services, and physician practices. The mission of Iredell Health System is to inspire wellbeing. For a comprehensive list of services and programs, visit www.iredellhealth.org.