McLaren Macomb celebrates construction milestone with ‘Topping Off’ ceremony

beam topping off

McLaren Macomb, the 288-bed acute care health care provider serving all of Macomb County, has reached a milestone in its major construction project that will result in a new five-story Northwest Tower and the largest emergency department in the county. With the final beam in place, the new tower’s steel support structure will be completed and work will begin on constructing the building’s interior.

The placing of the final steel beam was celebrated during a ‘Topping Off’ ceremony attended by McLaren Macomb leadership and local elected officials.

And in the spirit of recognizing all hospital employees, whose dedication and expertise increased the hospital’s reputation as a first-rate health care provider, all employees were welcome to sign the beam before it was permanently secured in place.

Construction began on the Northwest Tower, which includes the Wayne and Joan Webber Emergency and Trauma Center, in April 2018.

“A year ago we stood out here and put the first shovel in the ground, officially starting a project that had been talked about at this hospital for many years,” said Tim Vargas, chief operating officer at McLaren Macomb. “Now we have this impressive structure in place, and we are significantly closer to the completion of the tower, ED and trauma center, furthering our commitment to addressing a major health need for our community.”

The emergency department will occupy the ground floor and increase the size of the existing emergency department to 43,735-sq. ft. (more than double the current capacity) affording room to add additional trauma bays, multiple ambulance entrances, separate waiting rooms and entrances for high- and low-acuity patients and families, with room to grow.

Phase one of construction is scheduled to be completed, and the emergency department will see its first patient, in early 2020. Plans are to build the six-story tower and keep the top four stories open for future construction and expansions.

To learn more about the services offered at McLaren Macomb, including emergency and trauma care, visit mclaren.org/macomber.

About McLaren Macomb:
In January 2012, Mount Clemens Regional Medical Center became McLaren Macomb.

McLaren Macomb is a 288-bed acute care hospital located in Mount Clemens, Mich. More than 400 physicians and nearly 2,000 employees work at McLaren Macomb making it one of Macomb County’s top employers. McLaren Macomb provides a full range of services, including cancer and cardiovascular care. As Macomb County’s first verified trauma center, the hospital operates the busiest emergency department in Macomb County and is also an accredited chest pain center. McLaren Macomb has a rich history of providing high quality, compassionate health care and holds a strong position in the community it serves. To learn more, visit mclaren.org/macomb or follow our blog mclaren.org/macombblog.

About McLaren Health Care

McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a fully integrated health network committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 14 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 490-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering more than 620,000 lives in Michigan and Indiana, home health and hospice providers, retail medical equipment showrooms, pharmacy services, and a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company. McLaren operates Michigan’s largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, one of only 49 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S. McLaren has 26,000 employees and more than 85,500 network providers. Its operations are housed in more than 350 facilities serving Michigan and Indiana.