From the Ground Up: Mercy south campus emergency department

Owner: Mercy
Construction manager: Northstar Management Co. LLC (St. Louis)
Architect: REES Associates Inc. (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Engineers: Olsson Inc., civil; ZFI Engineering Co. (Oklahoma City), structural; and Professional Engineering Consultants Co. (Wichita, Kansas), mechanical, electrical and plumbing
Size: 17,256 square feet
Cost: $32 million
Lender: None
Estimated completion: Late 2025
Project description: Patient demand from communities expanding south of Springfield prompted Mercy to construct a new emergency department, according to Mercy spokesperson Ettie Berneking. Ground was broken on the addition in October 2023. The facility, connected to Mercy’s orthopedic hospital, is projected to accommodate 15,000 patients annually. The new emergency department will provide quicker access to an emergency room for many patients residing in Ozark and Nixa, Berneking said, providing access to emergency care within 20 minutes. Plans for the department, which is expected to open in early 2026, continue to evolve, but it is expected to include 11 beds in 17,000 square feet of space. A trauma room, an isolation room and patient holding rooms are also in the plans, according to Mercy’s website and past Springfield Business Journal reporting.