AHN making $20 million investment in Grove City hospital

Oct. 27—PINE TOWNSHIP — Allegheny Health Network plans to invest $20 million in improvements at its hospital in Pine Township — the hospital's biggest construction project in more than 30 years.

Much of the work, expected to begin next year, centers on expanding and improving AHN Grove City's emergency room, said hospital President Dr. David Tupponce. But there also will be added space for its imaging department and upgrades for its internal utilities.

"We're really excited about this," Tupponce said.

Along with new equipment ,the project will add an estimated 6,000 square feet of space at the hospital. AHN Grove City's emergency department handles 15,000 people annually and is overdue for an upgrade, he said.

"It hasn't been updated since the mid-'80s," Tupponce said.

The emergency department, which now has eight rooms, will be increased to 14 to 16 spaces. But It's not just a matter of adding rooms.

"We're going to have a room that can handle a behavioral health crisis," he said.

The project includes the addition of a negative-pressure room, also known as an isolation room, or patients with infectious illnesses. In a negative-pressure room, air pressure inside is lower than air pressure outside. When the door is opened, that keeps possibly contaminated air inside the room from escaping.

The emergency department's waiting room and pharmacy also will get additional space.

Plans also call for the addition of empty space not immediately needed. Tupponce explained that medical science likely will produce new equipment that doesn't exist yet.

"And when that happens, we want to have space for it," he said. "And we're also seeing current equipment that gets updated requiring more space."

Less-glamorous upgrades includes a new boiler and generator for when power goes out.

"Our boiler and generator are maxed out now," Tupponce said.

Relocating the hospital's helicopter pad — now just a few feet from the building — is another priority. Tupponce said the helipad is too close to the emergency room's entrance.

"For safety reasons when the helicopter is landing or taking off we can't allow people to enter or leave through the emergency room's door," he said.

Tupponce didn't know when the pad was constructed but it was many years ago.

"At the time it was probably the best they could do," he said.

Plans for the project are still being completed. But Tupponce said construction will begin next year with work to be conducted in stages over a two- to three-year period.

As part of this project, state Sen. Michele Brooks, R-50, Jamestown, said the hospital's project was awarded a $500,000 grant from the state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.

The hospital will seek additional grants from other sources, Tupponce said.

"We're finding ways to improve care for our community," he said.