Bon Secours Mercy Health officially launched construction on a $200 million expansion at Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital with a ceremonial groundbreaking held on May 12, 2026.

The 10 a.m. event drew hospital leaders, Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones, Bon Secours Hampton Roads President Pat Davis-Hagens, and community representatives. Attendees participated in the traditional turning of the dirt to mark the start of construction.

Project Scope

The centerpiece of the expansion is a new four-story, 144,000-square-foot patient tower. Key features include:

• Emergency Department: Expansion from 15 to 30 beds, plus 10 additional observation beds. The current ED handles approximately 30,000 visits per year in constrained space.
• Women’s and Maternity Services: A new Labor & Delivery unit and expansion of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) from 8 to 10 rooms.
• Critical Care: Addition of 14 ICU beds and 26 universal care beds capable of flexing to meet different levels of patient acuity.
• Patient Experience Upgrades: Significantly larger patient rooms (approximately 2.5 times the current size) to better accommodate families, redesigned main and emergency entrances for improved access and navigation, and modern technology including real-time electronic care boards in patient rooms.

The hospital, originally constructed in the 1980s, has faced growing capacity challenges amid rising demand on the Virginia Peninsula.

Timeline and Construction

Construction is now underway. The new patient tower is scheduled to open in summer 2028.

Funding and Impact

The project is funded primarily through operational capital from Bon Secours Mercy Health, with additional support expected through the Bon Secours Hampton Roads Foundation. It is expected to generate construction jobs during the build phase and create additional permanent healthcare positions once the tower opens.

Hospital President Alan George highlighted the need for the expansion, noting capacity limitations and the importance of improving emergency response times and care delivery in a growing region. Mayor Phillip Jones welcomed the investment as a significant boost to local healthcare and economic development.

A Long-Planned Investment

Planning for the expansion has been in development for more than a decade. Upon completion, the project will modernize critical services including emergency care, maternity, neonatal, and critical care, while enhancing the overall patient and family experience at Mary Immaculate Hospital.

This investment represents one of the largest recent healthcare infrastructure projects in the Hampton Roads region and underscores Bon Secours Mercy Health’s commitment to serving the Virginia Peninsula’s growing population.

The $200 million expansion at Mary Immaculate Hospital reflects a broader national trend of healthcare systems modernizing aging facilities to meet growing demand. Similar major hospital expansions underway nationwide include the $4.3 billion UCSF Health Helen Diller Hospital project in San Francisco, which broke ground in 2024 and is scheduled to open in 2030.

Construction has officially began on a major $200 million expansion at Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital. MIH Expansion Main Hospital Entrance. Rendering courtesy of Bon Secours Mercy Health

Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital Expansion: Factsheet

Project Overview

• Project: Mary Immaculate Hospital Patient Tower Expansion
• Location: Newport News, Virginia
• Owner: Bon Secours Mercy Health
• Total Investment: $200 million
• Groundbreaking Date: May 12, 2026

Project Scope

• New four-story, 144,000-square-foot patient tower
• Major modernization of a hospital originally built in the 1952
• Designed to address capacity constraints and growing healthcare demand on the Virginia Peninsula

Key Components

• Emergency Department expansion: from 15 to 30 beds + 10 observation beds
• New Labor & Delivery unit
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) expansion: from 8 to 10 rooms
• Relocating existing ICU beds at the hospital and then adopting a universal care model
• 26 universal care beds (flexible acuity)
• Significantly larger patient rooms (2.5× current size)
• Redesigned main and emergency entrances for improved access
• Modern technology integration, including real-time electronic care boards

Timeline

• Groundbreaking: May 12, 2026
• Construction: Currently underway
• Expected Opening: Summer 2028

Funding

• Primarily funded through operational capital of Bon Secours Mercy Health
• Additional philanthropic support raised through the Bon Secours Hampton Roads Foundation

Impact

• Will significantly increase emergency, maternity, neonatal, and critical care capacity
• Expected to create construction jobs during the building phase
• Will generate additional permanent healthcare positions upon completion
• Long-term improvement in healthcare access for residents of the Virginia Peninsula