A new medical tower at St Michael Medical Center in Silverdale, which broke ground in October 2023, is expected to be completed in December.

The new tower will have a capacity of 74 beds and aims to ease some of the burden of the emergency department. Virginia Mason Franciscan Health plans to hire more than 65 new staff members and 10 new providers to cover hospitalist and specialty care, Chad Melton, SMMC president, said.

“St. Michael Medical Center is home to one of the busiest EDs in the state of Washington with approximately 80,000 visits each year,” Melton said. “ While we are excited about many aspects of the tower, we are most excited to have a very direct and meaningful impact on both patient and team member experiences in the ED. As we add new beds, we are able to relieve much of the current burden in the ED. We are always hiring and recruiting and have been working to fill positions for the additional 74 beds that will come with the new tower.”

Melton said the majority of employees in the new tower will be union-represented. SMMC did not provide a specific number of workers or which unions they will be represented by.

A hybrid emergency department/urgent care clinic in Port Orchard is currently underway and slated to open later this year. A finalized completion date has not yet been announced for either the Silverdale or Port Orchard projects, Melton said.

“The hybrid model prioritizes patient convenience. When a patient comes to the new facility, a board-certified emergency physician will oversee the patient’s care. Billing of emergency versus urgent care is based on the care provided, thus removing the burden for patients who may not know where to go,” he said.

VMFH opened a Bremerton location in March and reported over 15,000 patient visits since opening, Melton said. The hybrid ER/urgent care clinic is open 24/7 for emergency services, while urgent care services are provided seven days a week between 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The clinic is equipped with on-site lab equipment, a radiology suite with X-ray, ultrasound and a multi-slice CT scanner.

“The facility is staffed with physicians board-certified in emergency medicine and nurses experienced in emergency care,” he said. “ The site is fully equipped like a traditional hospital emergency department. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) can also bring patients directly to the hybrid ED/urgent care facility, which will accommodate ambulances onsite.”

Regarding SMMC safety recommendations brought forward by nurses represented by UFCW3000, the union that represents roughly 850 nursing staff at SMMC, Melton provided the following statement:

“St. Michael Medical Center remains committed to the bargaining process and reaching a fair, competitive agreement with UFCW3000. Our ongoing negotiations include discussions around several safety-related initiatives, and any final contract agreements will be reflected in the new tower,” he said.