Sturdy Hospital Breaks Ground on New Trauma Center

Sturdy Health held a ceremonial groundbreaking on Friday to celebrate the launch of a major expansion to its Emergency Department at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro. The new 38,000-square-foot expansion marks a significant milestone and investment in "Sturdy Health’s continued commitment to delivering quality health care for communities across Southeastern Massachusetts and neighboring Rhode Island," according to a media release.

While traditionally not a top choice for Franklin consumers, Sturdy has seen substantial growth and expansion in recent years and, critically, is now one of the primary trauma facilities used by area first responders and also offers broad emergency care options.

Federal, state and local officials, as well as project partners and key stakeholders, joined Sturdy Health to commemorate this important step forward, a component of Sturdy Health’s multi-year strategic plan initiative. This project represents a $113 million investment at Sturdy Memorial Hospital that will strengthen and support the region’s community health resources, particularly its emergency medicine and behavioral health services.

“When a patient arrives at our Emergency Department, it is our responsibility to ensure they receive exceptional and timely care,” said Aimee Brewer, President and CEO of Sturdy Health. “We initiated this expansion in response to increasing demand that has exceeded our current capacity. This project represents a significant investment in the health of our community — reducing wait times, improving access to emergency care, and enhancing privacy, particularly for patients with behavioral health needs. We are grateful to our Sturdy Health team, as well as our donors, partners, and elected leaders, for their dedication and support in bringing this important vision to life.”

Designed to meet the growing need for accessible, reliable care and treatment in local hospital settings, the project will nearly double the capacity of the current Emergency Department to 50 exam rooms in total.

Two new, state-of-the-art trauma rooms will be equipped with life-saving care resources for life-saving intervention, and on-site imaging and CT scanning will be fully integrated to streamline diagnostics and treatment.

The project will also deliver transformative behavioral health resources through the creation of a secure, 12-bed unit offering acute therapeutic intervention for patients experiencing mental health crises.

“It has never been more important to invest in and support our local community hospitals such as Sturdy Memorial, and to celebrate their efforts to expand care for patients and families,” said Sen. Ed Markey. “I was proud to fight for $2.85 million for Sturdy’s efforts to expand their Emergency Department, build a new behavioral health unit, and more.

“Nobody wants to go to the ER, but if you end up there — the wait time should be short and the conditions should be orderly,” said Rep. Jake Auchincloss. “The surge in psychiatric ER visits has worsened both; this expansion is an important part of fixing it.”

“Massachusetts has always been a leader in health care and it’s thanks to partners like Sturdy Health that help us maintain that leadership,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. “This new building will help improve access to high quality care, with increased capacity and a new behavioral health unit. We’re proud to support this project and we’re grateful to the providers and team at Sturdy Hospital for their commitment to serving Attleboro and Southeastern Massachusetts.”

“Further expanding the emergency and behavioral health services available in the Attleboro area represents a direct investment in the long-term health and wellbeing of local residents. By meeting these critical health care needs during times of economic and federal uncertainty, Sturdy Health continues to show what is possible when patients are put first. I am grateful to Sturdy Health and President and CEO Aimee Brewer for their partnership in fostering strong connects through all levels of government to deliver for the community health needs of our region,” said State Sen. Paul Feeney.

A reimagined helipad will support rapid transport for patients in need of critical care and there will be new, below-grade parking for hospital patients and visitors.

Consigli Construction Co., Inc., in collaboration with architect NBBJ, is leading construction for the project, with Redgate serving as the owner’s representative.

“This milestone represents more than the start of construction – it’s a meaningful step forward in Sturdy Health’s ongoing commitment to expanding access to high-quality, community-based health care in Massachusetts,” said Stephanie O’Brien, Director & Project Executive – Healthcare at Consigli Construction Co., Inc. “Consigli is proud to continue our partnership with Sturdy Health on this critically important project, which will enhance local behavioral and emergency health services for both patients and providers while also delivering resilient new infrastructure to the Sturdy Memorial Hospital campus.”

“Breaking ground on the Sturdy Memorial Hospital Emergency Department marks the beginning of a space designed with urgency, empathy, and innovation at its core,” said Kwang Lee, Healthcare Director at NBBJ. “This beautifully designed, state-of-the-art facility will significantly expand capacity and elevate the level of care provided. As architects, we’re honored to help shape an environment that puts patients first — supporting both care teams and the community in life’s most critical moments.”

“This project reflects Sturdy Health’s commitment to strengthening the health and wellbeing of the communities it serves,” said Jennifer Sutherby, Vice President at Redgate. “On behalf of Redgate, we are honored to partner with Sturdy on its Emergency Department expansion and contribute to advancing access to emergency care in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.”

Established on April 14, 1913, Sturdy Health is an independent, not-for-profit health system comprised of a 142-bed acute care hospital, 25 primary and specialty care medical offices and an Urgent Care Center dedicated to providing a broad range of health care services to the residents of communities in Southeastern Massachusetts and neighboring Rhode Island. Sturdy’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of the people in our communities through kindness, compassion, and convenient access to the highest quality care. Learn more about Sturdy Health at www.sturdyhealth.org.eclaration of hope to the region that there are still those willing to step up to provide quality, accessible care.”