PLAINS TWP. — The 11-story tower under construction at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center will be built with more steel than the amount of metal used to construct the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, hospital officials say.
After nearly two years of foundation work, the steel has started to rise on Geisinger’s $900 million expansion project.
“Up to this point we’ve been doing horizontal construction. Getting all the foundations ready. It’s been a long time coming. We’re finally ready for steel,” said Geisinger’s project manager Jeff Tomko.
The new tower, which will be connected to the existing hospital campus in Plains Township, will significantly expand patient capacity and modernize clinical services. The addition will increase the number of licensed beds from 356 to 500, expand operating rooms from 12 to 18, and enlarge the emergency department to better handle rising patient volumes.
A goal is to give all patients private rooms.
Hospital leaders say the design emphasizes patient comfort, infection control, and operational efficiency — features increasingly common in large academic medical centers across the country.
Construction crews hope to have the new structure winterized by the end of the year to concentrate on interior construction. Crews will then increase from 150 workers to 450 a day. The new tower is expected to open in the first quarter of 2028.
“First and foremost, we continue to invest in Luzerne County because we see a growing need for services in this market,” said Michael DiMare, associate vice president of clinical operations.
Despite the cold, snowy winter, construction crews continued to work on the expansion project every day, keeping the ambitious timeline on track.
Geisinger will hire 400 new employees when the tower is complete, bringing the total number of workers at the Plains Twp. campus to around 4,000, officials said. Positions are expected to include nurses, physicians, technicians, support staff and administrative roles.
Geisinger announced the massive expansion plans in July 2023 for the 600,000-square-foot addition. When officials announced the proposal, they said the addition would make Geisinger “have capabilities on par with most major academic medical centers, including those in large metropolitan areas.”
The project is responsible for up to 3,800 construction jobs and will generate a $1 billion boost to the local economy, Geisinger officials say. Local contractors, suppliers and service providers are expected to benefit throughout the multi-year buildout.
Geisinger opened the Plains Twp. facility in 1981 and has completed multiple expansions over the decades to meet growing regional demand. The current $900 million investment represents one of the largest healthcare infrastructure projects ever undertaken in northeastern Pennsylvania.
When completed, the new tower is expected to redefine healthcare delivery in Luzerne County, positioning the medical center as a regional hub for advanced specialty care while improving access for local residents.
Originally reported by Bob Kalinowski in The Citizen's Voice.
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