Froedtert Health plans to convert a portion of its Moorland Reserve Health Center in New Berlin into an acute-care hospital.
The Wauwatosa-based health system plans to reconfigure about 16,900 square feet of the 137,000-square-foot health center to accommodate nine inpatient beds.
The health center, located at 4085 S. Moorland Road, was built in 2013 to provide primary, specialty and urgent care. It underwent a 15,000-square-foot expansion in 2016 to add emergency services.
Adding inpatient beds will allow Froedtert to serve patients locally, rather than transporting them to other hospitals, the health system said. In 2018, the Moorland Reserve Health Center emergency department transported approximately 300 patients outside of New Berlin.
“With the addition of inpatient services, these patients will have the ability to receive care onsite for illnesses not requiring surgery, intensive care, pediatric or birth services,” Froedtert said in plans to the city. “This may include pneumonia, flu, shortness of breath, congestive heart failure, and hyperglycemia (diabetes). Transporting patients for inpatient care often results in an increase in cost and inconvenience for patients and families.”
Froedtert expects to serve approximately 15 to 20 patients per week in its inpatient hospital in New Berlin.
The health system said the project will involve interior modifications within the existing health center. It anticipates starting renovations in the first quarter of 2020 and completing the project by the third quarter.
Froedtert said it would be the “first facility of this nature in southeast Wisconsin,” but has plans for others in Pewaukee, Mequon and Oak Creek.
Froedtert also plans to operate a new inpatient hospital at the former Wisconsin Heart Hospital, 10000 W. Bluemound Road in Wauwatosa.
