Keeping Pace with Regional Growth
The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center’s major hospital expansion enhances trauma response, improves patient flow, and strengthens surgical capabilities, while also improving the overall healing environment.
Penn State Health’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is Central Pennsylvania’s only Level I Trauma Center, delivering comprehensive, patient-focused care to the region. With anticipated population growth and increasing demand for emergency services, the health system launched a strategic expansion of its emergency department and surgical facilities.
The new addition improves overall capacity, patient and provider flow, and departmental efficiency. It includes a trauma room, expanded EMS and decontamination staging areas, a new security center, and enhanced support spaces. A new entrance and drop-off zone improve access for patients and ambulances alike.
The design features views of a healing garden from the emergency department waiting area and adjacent cancer center, reinforcing the hospital’s commitment to whole-person care. On the second floor, three state-of-the-art neurosurgical operating rooms support advanced technologies, including a mobile MRI. The third floor houses mechanical and electrical systems, with shell space for future offices and conference rooms.
Construction was carefully phased to ensure uninterrupted operation of adjacent ORs, the cancer center, the emergency department, and imaging suites throughout the project.
