Steel work begins on Geisinger Medical Center expansion project

DANVILLE, Pa. - Construction of a new 11-story patient tower and parking garage at Geisinger Medical Center continues to take shape as steel work began this week on the Danville campus.
Steel will be delivered daily to the worksite in front of Geisinger Medical Center, with work continuing over the next year to erect the core structure for the tower. Crews will also begin installing precast concrete at the parking garage site, near the Pine Barn Inn.

More than 4,200 tons of steel will be used in this project, exceeding the total structural steel used in St. Louis' iconic Gateway Arch.

The work is the next step in the Danville hospital's expansion and modernization project, which includes a new emergency room as well as updated and enhanced operating rooms and intensive care units. It also transitions the hospital's adult medical-surgical units to 100% private beds.

"Our focus continues to be on creating a positive patient experience for our neighbors throughout the Susquehanna Valley," said Alex Zimmerman, chief administrative officer of Geisinger's central region. "Geisinger Medical Center has been a critical resource to the region for more than 100 years as it offers many advanced and specialized care services not available elsewhere in the area. This hospital expansion will give our staff the environment they need to continue their great work for the betterment of everyone in our community."

The project is not only an important growth initiative for the hospital, but also for the local region. A Geisinger-commissioned economic impact study showed that the new tower, once operational, will generate more than $28 million per year in economic impact - dollars that will flow back into the region, state and nation as part of direct and indirect impacts.

The construction project alone will support 4,500 construction jobs and nearly 300 jobs in other sectors, resulting in almost $82 million in labor income.

During the construction project, visitors to Geisinger Medical Center should be aware of their surroundings and of heavy construction traffic near the work sites at the front of the hospital as trucks come in and out of the fenced area.

Patients and visitors should allow an extra 15 minutes to arrive at their appointments due to potential construction impacts on campus and inside the hospital.

Construction in front of the hospital will continue over the next few years, with the new 11-story tower and parking garage set to open in 2029.

About Geisinger

Geisinger is among the nation's leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates more than $8 billion in annual revenues across 163 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses - and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 500 medical professionals annually and is conducting more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With more than 27,000 employees, including 1,800 employed physicians and 5,200 registered nurses, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania's largest employers, having an estimated economic impact of $16.8 billion on the state's economy. In 2024, Geisinger joined Risant Health, a nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.