Mercy Hospital Fort Smith has announced plans for a $162 million expansion of its emergency room and intensive care unit, part of several recent projects that continue to evolve Mercy’s care throughout the River Valley.

Mercy Fort Smith will expand its ER from 29 to 50 rooms and increase ICU capacity from 38 to 64 in a concept that provides better workflow and flexibility. The new Emergency Department will allow for about 25,000 more patient visits per year and include special considerations for infectious disease as well as behavioral health patients. For the convenience of patients, an additional 140 parking spaces will be added to accommodate the expansion, with parking closer to the new ER entrance.

The ER and ICU expansion will build on expanded care in the community, said Dr. Paul Bean, chief of medical affairs at Mercy Fort Smith.

“It will increase our ability to care for more patients and will actually improve the care we provide,” Dr. Bean said. “It will allow us to expand the services that we provide, which will allow patients to stay in Fort Smith for the care they need.”

The current ER has served Mercy well, although it is not designed to handle the volume, acuity or type of patients seen today, said Ryan Gehrig, president of Mercy Hospital Fort Smith.

“Mercy exists to serve the community, and this investment will allow us to better meet the needs of our community in a world-class environment,” Gehrig said. “We have a very dedicated team of professionals, and this will enable them to deliver this experience our patients expect and deserve.”

Gehrig added that over the past decade, Mercy Fort Smith has worked to add numerous medical services and established itself as a regional health care center.

“The increased number of specialists and subspecialists including the addition of three neurosurgeons has allowed us to care for a broader spectrum and higher acuity of patients, many of whom were previously leaving our community for care,” Gehrig said. “We are performing more complex surgeries and procedures, creating additional demand for critical care beds.”