The expansion will increase capacity by 45.6% and create 300 permanent new jobs in the community
On April 27, 2023, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, a member of the Mass General Brigham health care system, will officially break ground on an expansion project that includes a five-story inpatient addition with 78 new inpatient beds, as well as clinical support and ambulatory space. The hospital announced this new, critical expansion of beds and services alongside numerous community stakeholders. This effort will allow the hospital and Mass General Brigham to better serve inpatient demand and address the ongoing capacity crisis affecting hospitals across the Commonwealth.
Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital and Mass General Brigham are committed to increasing capacity for patients, improving access to care, and modernizing facilities. This expansion project is a significant effort toward meeting those goals. It will also support Mass General Brigham’s plan to become carbon neutral by 2025 by reducing energy consumption, increasing on-site energy production, ensuring resiliency, enhancing green spaces, and encouraging alternative means of transportation.
James Arthur Jemison, chief of planning and director of Boston Planning and Development Agency, State Representative Rob Consalvo, and State Senator Michael F. Rush are expected to attend the groundbreaking, along with Robert S.D. Higgins, MD, MSHA, president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and executive vice president at Mass General Brigham, David McCready, president of Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, and Anne Klibanski, MD, president and CEO of Mass General Brigham.
“This is not only an important milestone in the history of Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, but it’s also a true investment in the communities that we serve,” said David McCready, president of Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. “Hospitals across the country are in desperate need to serve increased patient capacity demands and this project allows Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital to help address that crucial need and support the health and wellbeing of our community. The increased space will allow us to better care for our patients and give our staff the resources and space they need while creating additional jobs for the greater Boston community.”
In addition to the 78 new inpatient beds, the project includes an expanded endoscopy suite, a new 3T MRI machine that will increase imaging capacity and provide upgraded diagnostic imaging, and an eight-bed extended recovery unit. Additionally, the project includes a new parking garage to be built on the current surface lot and the demolition of the aging West parking garage. The new parking garage will consist of five full levels – two located below ground, one surface-level, and two structured decks above to allow for approximately 950 vehicles in total. The new garage will also include modern and environmentally friendly touches, such as 49 electric vehicle charging stations, 112 bike racks, and a solar array that will generate about 50 percent of the power to run the new inpatient addition.
“This is a critical project for the Brigham Family and Mass General Brigham, expanding access to needed care in the communities we serve,” said Robert S.D. Higgins, MD, MSHA, president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and executive vice president at Mass General Brigham. “Not only will this expansion create jobs both in the short and long term, but it shows our commitment to growing our capacity efficiently and purposefully to best support both our employees and our patients. Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital shares Mass General Brigham’s commitment to enhancing healthcare delivery in our communities and we’re proud of the sustainability efforts that this expansion will support.”
Construction on the 98,000-square foot inpatient addition and parking garage is underway, with the parking garage expected to be complete in August 2024 and the inpatient addition expected to be complete in April 2025.
