(KTTS News) — Mercy officially broke ground Friday on a new emergency department in Ozark.

It will be located next to the Orthopedic Hospital on East River Bluff Drive.

The groundbreaking comes as the hospital’s existing emergency department is at capacity almost daily.  

“Our patient base has been growing for many years,” said David Argueta, president of Mercy Springfield Communities. “We knew we would need to build a second emergency department that served patients coming to us from surrounding communities on the south like Christian County.” 

The new ED will only be about eight miles away from the current emergency department, but as Marie Moore, chief nursing officer at Mercy Hospital Springfield said, eight miles can save a life. 

“This new ED could mean a patient reaches an emergency room 20 minutes sooner,” she said. “That’s huge, especially for residents of Ozark and Nixa.”

Estimates predict the ED will see 15,000 patient visits each year. 

While plans for the emergency department are still evolving, the new facility is estimated to include 17,256 square feet of space including 11 beds, a trauma room, an isolation room, patient holding rooms and more.

Press Release

The Ozarks has been growing, and Mercy Springfield has been paying close attention. Mercy Hospital Springfield broke ground on a new emergency department at its south campus on Friday, Oct. 6. 

As the populations of Ozark, Nixa and Republic have continued to grow, the leadership team at Mercy Springfield knew they needed to expand emergency access to the south side of town to meet patient demand. The group spent years evaluating site options and thinking through which services patients needed most. Now, that planning is being turned into action.  

The groundbreaking comes as the hospital’s existing emergency department is at capacity almost daily.  

“Our patient base has been growing for many years,” said David Argueta, president of Mercy Springfield Communities. “We knew we would need to build a second emergency department that served patients coming to us from surrounding communities on the south like Christian County.” 

The new, full-service emergency department will be located at 3050 E. River Bluff Drive, in Ozark, and will be attached to Mercy’s orthopedic hospital. The new ED will only be about eight miles away from the current emergency department, but as Marie Moore, chief nursing officer at Mercy Hospital Springfield said, eight miles can save a life. 

“This new ED could mean a patient reaches an emergency room 20 minutes sooner,” she said. “That’s huge, especially for residents of Ozark and Nixa.” Estimates predict the ED will see 15,000 patient visits each year. “This will allow us to add more convenient care to many patients,” said Devin Boss, an ED physician with Mercy Hospital Springfield. “It’s always exciting to be a part of something like this. As we’re planning this ED, we’re constantly thinking through what will be comfortable and convenient for the patients and the kind of experience they want or expect.” 

While plans for the emergency department are still evolving, the new facility is estimated to include 17,256 square feet of space including 11 beds, a trauma room, an isolation room, patient holding rooms and more. Olsson will serve as the civil engineer on the project, REES has been brought on as the primary architect and Northstar Management Co. will serve as project manager. The build is expected to cost $32 million and be completed in early 2025.  

“This is a huge investment in our region,” Argueta said. “But we see every single day that the Springfield area is a major hub for health care in southwest Missouri, which means we must grow to provide the best care to our growing patient population. Southwest Missouri will continue to attract more residents, and we will be ready for that growth.”