Aurora Health Care said it will open Wisconsin's first entirely green hospital in Grafton on Nov. 1.
The 106-bed, 520,000-square-foot Aurora Medical Center in Grafton cost $184 million, and will provide integrated care for thousands of residents in Ozaukee County, north of Milwaukee, Aurora said in a media release.
The hospital is nearly 80% complete, including most of the exterior. At the end of summer medical equipment to support surgeries, diagnostics and rehabilitation will arrive, with installation expected to take three months to complete. After that, the equipment will undergo testing and certification, Aurora said.
Aurora Medical Center in Grafton is being built to Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) standards, which provides third-party verification that a building was constructed using environmentally friendly processes.
The original plans in 2007 called for Aurora Medical Center in Grafton to have 89 beds. Another 18 beds were added in the final design to account for anticipated increases in patient volume from physicians who have joined Aurora and Aurora Advanced Healthcare. The adjustment also reflects the projected rise in orthopedic surgeries based on demographic data.
The non-profit hospital will offer specialty services including cardiac, cancer, and neurological care, a 24-hour emergency department, an orthopedic center, a neonatal ICU, and advanced technology for diagnoses and treatments.
Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care operates 13 nonprofit hospitals and 140 clinics in eastern Wisconsin. The medical center will bring more than 600 jobs to the area.
John Commins is the news editor for HealthLeaders.