Geisinger Medical Center opens new main road on campus, prepares for hospital construction project
The hospital marked the milestone with a flag-raising ceremony featuring Danville’s local Honor Guard.
Medical Center Drive — the main driveway in front of the hospital — is now a two-way road with separate drop-off loops for patients and valet parking, providing better traffic flow for hospital visitors. The new road also paves the way for construction of a new 11-story patient tower and parking structure.
“Improved ease of access from this completed road project is a big step toward our ultimate goal of a better experience for patients and staff,” said Megan Brosious, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Geisinger. “Our hospital has a legacy of bringing to our community advanced care options not widely available in rural areas. The expansion project will only serve to enhance the great care our team offers our patients every day.”
Crews will ramp up work this spring in front of the hospital to start construction of the new tower and parking garage, starting with the demolition of the hospital’s former Dickey Clinic and MRI building.
During construction over the next several years, the pedestrian walkway leading up Medical Center Drive will be closed. Pedestrians traveling from the hospital’s main parking areas should use the Hospital for Advanced Medicine entrance. Pedestrians can reach the hospital’s Abigail (main) entrance from Bloom Road by using the sidewalk on Drexel Avenue.
Construction will not affect the hospital’s emergency room, which patients can continue to use throughout the project.
“This work will truly transform the way we deliver care in the region,” said Michael Fitzpatrick, M.D., chief medical officer of Geisinger’s central region. “It will give our staff the improved work environment they need to continue caring for patients in Danville, Sunbury, Milton and all the communities across our area who depend on us for advanced healthcare services.”
The expansion project will dramatically alter and improve the Geisinger Medical Center campus to provide a modern, comforting environment for patients, visitors and staff. The new tower will feature a larger ER that will double the square footage of the current space and increase it from 45 to 60 beds.
Updated intensive care units and operating suites will meet the future health needs of the region. The hospital’s adult medical-surgical unit rooms will convert to all private beds, which provides not just more privacy, but also more space for patients and caregivers.
This project complements the services Geisinger provides throughout the region, including at Geisinger Shamokin Area Community Hospital and Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital.
Visitors and staff should be aware of their surroundings and additional traffic on campus throughout the entirety of the construction project over the next few years.
Anyone traveling to the hospital should allow extra time in case of delays due to construction. The tower is expected to be complete and open to patients by 2029.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
