Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital is starting renovations to expand and redesign its emergency department waiting room.

Construction begins Tuesday, and there will be signs to guide patients and visitors to a temporary entrance.  EMS vehicles will not be affected by the construction and there will be no change to the services provided by the emergency department.

The project will more than double the square footage of the main waiting area, it will increase seating capacity by more than 50 percent, and it will improve the functionality of the waiting area for the emergency care team.

A new sub-waiting area will be created to provide better accommodations for patients as they receive care, to provide a more comfortable and supportive environment.   The project is expected to be completed by early 2025.

During fiscal year 2024, the Via Christi St. Francis emergency department served over 43,000 patients and received more than 13,000 EMS arrivals.