TIFTON – The Hospital Authority of Tift County approved a $150 million, four-story tower at its Wednesday meeting.

The tower will expand the physical facility of Tift Regional Medical Center (TRMC), including new inpatient units and a new emergency center.

Approximately 60 percent of the financing will be through a USDA rural development loan; the remaining 40 percent will be funded through internal reserves, according to a press release.

Groundbreaking for the new, 263,000 square-foot tower is expected within one year and construction will take approximately two years to complete.

TRHS President/CEO Chris Dorman said the new expansion is needed to address challenges the hospital is facing in meeting patient demand.

“Our emergency room was originally designed to accommodate about 20,000 patients per year and we currently see close to 50,000 patients per year,” Dorman said in the release. “The new emergency room will better serve a larger volume of patients, which will decrease wait times. When we have a high census at the hospital, especially during flu season, patients now have to wait for long periods of time to be admitted but with this new tower comes improved capacity.”

The new building will connect to the current TRMC facility and shift the main entrance to face 18th Street.

It will offer more private rooms, according to Dorman, and be “designed for better patient flow.”

“In improving the patient flow, patients should experience shorter wait times with quicker access to care,” he said. “More private rooms will be available with natural light, creating a more healing environment and a new chapel will provide a quiet, peaceful place for spiritual healing.”

Jimmy Allen, Chairman of the Hospital Authority, said the new facility is needed to accommodate Tift Regional Health System’s growth.

“We are excited to invest this money into the existing facility and building the new patient tower on Tift Regional’s main campus.” Allen said.

The Board also selected Adams Management Services Corporation to manage the expansion project. Phase I will consist of the procurement of the general contractor for the project; phase II will include oversight of the construction.