The $150 million expansion and modernization of the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center Emergency Department in Richmond Hill, Queens, has reached a significant milestone with the successful completion of the building’s exterior curtain wall installation. Led by construction management firm Barr & Barr, the highly anticipated project is constructing a brand-new, 48,534-square-foot, three-story addition atop a former physicians’ parking lot. Funded heavily by a New York State grant from the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program, the facility is on track to meet its projected 2027 completion date. The expansion directly addresses severe overcrowding at the borough’s busiest Level 1 Trauma Center, replacing an outdated framework originally built to handle 60,000 annual visits but currently stretched to accommodate nearly 120,000.
Once fully operational, the state-of-the-art facility will double the hospital’s emergency capacity to serve over 150,000 patients annually. The layout expands the building from a single trauma bay to four major and four minor trauma bays, increases ambulance slots, and replaces old curtained treatment areas with 57 fully enclosed private bays. Additionally, reflecting critical lessons learned when the hospital was at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, the upper two floors will feature two advanced critical care units adding 22 new ICU beds, while the ground floor incorporates enhanced negative-pressure isolation spaces and sophisticated air filtration systems to ensure robust airborne infection control. Also, this facility will boost health care services provision in New York. It adds on New York’s health care infrastructure with the state developing other projects such as the New Wadsworth Center Public Health Laboratory in Albany.
June 28, 2023
Construction has commenced on a Jamaica Hospital Emergency Department expansion project in Queens, New York. Recently, the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center (JHMC) broke ground on the $150 million project which will double its existing department’s size. The groundbreaking which welcomed about 500 guests also had Governor Kathy Hochul of New York in attendance.
Governor Hochul pointed out that the Jamaica Hospital’s Emergency Department expansion project faced some delays due to the COVID pandemic. Therefore, she commended the hospital for its commitment to the project, while also caring for patients during the pandemic’s peak period. The governor said this experience further highlighted the need for safety-net hospitals.
Funding and development plans for the new Jamaica Hospital Emergency Department
JHMC secured funding through the fourth round of the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program (Statewide IV). After nearly a decade of planning, JHMC received $150 million under Statewide IV, which was started under Gov. Cuomo. Now the private Queens hospital is set to build a new 48,534-square-foot facility adjacent to the existing emergency department. The new facility will replace an existing physician parking lot on the property.
The current Jamaica Hospital Emergency Department handles around 60,000 patients, but now it serves approximately 120,000 patients annually. After completion, the facility will accommodate over 150,000 patients yearly. Additionally, the new emergency department will provide more trauma bays and isolation rooms. The facility will also feature two new critical care units, with 22 ICU beds.
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JHMC’s CEO, Bruce Flanz said JHMC’s Emergency Department will upgrade from one trauma bay to four major trauma bays. Furthermore, he said the isolation rooms will increase to 22, and nearly triple the treatment areas. Flanz also mentioned that the two new intensive care units will consist of a 12-bed neuro-ICU and a 10-bed ICU.
Upon completion, Flanz said the emergency department would have 48 intensive care unit beds in total. Additionally, he said the project also provides more space for the JHMC’s mental health program and chest pain centre (CPAC).
Project Factsheet
Project Name: Emergency Department (ED) and Critical Care Units Expansion & Modernization Project
Location: Jamaica Hospital Medical Center (JHMC) 89th Avenue & Van Wyck Expressway, Richmond Hill, Queens, New York, USA
Project Cost: $150 Million
Current Status: Active Construction (The exterior curtain wall installation was successfully completed in 2026)
Estimated Completion / Opening: April 2027
New Facility Footprint: 48,534 gross square feet (3-story addition plus a full basement)
Renovation Footprint: 36,265 square feet of comprehensive renovations within the existing legacy emergency spaces.
Owner/Operator: Jamaica Hospital Medical Center (Part of the MediSys Health Network)
Construction Management Lead: Barr & Barr Construction
Primary Funding Mechanism: $150 Million State Grant awarded through New York’s Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program IV (Statewide IV)
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