Penn Medicine plans to begin second part of expansion project at PPMC campus

Penn Medicine announced today plans to begin the second part of an expansion project that will transform and modernize the advanced care services provided at the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC) campus. In addition to the recently announced Penn Center for Specialty Care, the new Advanced Care Hospital Pavilion will provide the infrastructure and programmatic support needed for PPMC to become Penn Medicine's Level-I Regional Resource Trauma Center. With the completion of the expansion project - slated for January 2015 - the Trauma Center at Penn Medicine will transfer from its current base of operations at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

"This project will provide the PPMC campus with the facilities and clinical programs to better serve Philadelphia and adjoining communities as a tertiary center while significantly increasing Penn Medicine's overall care capacity," said Michele Volpe, CEO, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. "We look forward to partnering with local community groups and are thrilled to have the enthusiastic support of everyone involved. Working together to accommodate construction and relocation of programs will help us to create a seamless transition while maintaining the highest standards of patient care for which we are known."

The new 178,000 square foot advanced care pavilion building will feature overall upgrades and enhanced capacity for emergency, surgical, trauma and critical care patients at PPMC. This will be coupled with a second helipad, ensuring rapid access to state of the art resources for all critically ill patients. The project also includes an expansion and significant renovations to the current structure.

Renovations will upgrade the capacity and efficiency of the emergency and radiology departments. In addition to added emergency bay and operating room capacity, a new state-of-the art trauma resuscitation area will be dedicated to the evaluation and stabilization of critically injured patients. The project will also facilitate improvements in centralized patient flow. A new concourse will be created to provide a location for family, patients, and staff to gather and provide an exceptional thoroughfare for way finding. The exterior of the PPMC campus will also be developed to feature a landscaped green space in the 38th Street courtyard to provide an additional aesthetic element to the PPMC campus and the surrounding community.