Artist's rendering of the new emergency department expansion at the Alaska Native Medical Center.
The Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage is embarking on a $257 million expansion to improve emergency services and address capacity issues. This project aims to increase patient care spaces and add behavioral health rooms, with construction expected to be completed by 2027. The expansion is prompted by a rise in emergency visits and the need for better surgical services due to growing community healthcare demands.
The Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC) in Anchorage is launching a significant expansion project worth $257 million designed to enhance emergency services and alleviate the growing overcrowding crisis. The board of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, which oversees the federally owned ANMC, has authorized the project to address critical capacity challenges faced by the facility.
The need for expansion has become urgently clear due to a large increase in the number of patients. Since its establishment in the early 1990s, ANMC has seen a surge of over 70,000 Alaska Native individuals seeking care. The hospital’s emergency department is currently feeling the strain, with a high rate of admissions leading to cancellations of non-emergency surgeries, thus impacting patient care.
Currently, many of the patient care spaces at ANMC are inadequate, often resulting in patients receiving care in less than ideal conditions, such as hallways. The upcoming expansion seeks to resolve these issues by adding 21 new rooms to the emergency department, effectively increasing its capacity to treat more patients in need.
The expansion will also focus on improving facilities for patients experiencing mental health crises. New behavioral health rooms will be implemented as part of the renovation. In addition, an updated ambulance bay will be constructed. The existing ambulance bay has only one entry point, which complicates the arrival of emergency transports. The new design aims to streamline this process significantly.
As part of the expansion, there will be improvements in surgical recovery areas and dedicated behavioral health treatment spaces. These upgrades are envisioned to provide a more comprehensive and effective healthcare environment.
Funding for this first phase of expansion has been bolstered by nearly $30 million sourced through congressionally directed spending facilitated by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski. Moving forward, the next phase of the expansion will aim to secure an additional $200 million to construct three more floors and include a vital helipad for patient transport, ensuring timely care for critical cases.
The demand for services at ANMC is growing at a rapid pace. In 2021, the emergency department recorded approximately 45,000 visits, but this number escalated to nearly 55,000 by 2023. Moreover, the hospital reported an additional 2,000 surgeries in 2023 compared to levels in 2020. Unfortunately, the increase in patient numbers often leads to longer stays as skilled nursing facilities in the state face a shortage of available beds.
As with most construction projects, the expansion at ANMC will likely cause disruptions to current services. The entrance to the emergency department will be relocated, and certain parking areas will be closed for the duration of the construction. Nevertheless, these inconveniences are considered necessary to implement improvements that will ultimately benefit the community and its healthcare system.
The first phase of the expansion is projected to be completed by 2027. Additionally, a new skilled nursing facility is set to begin construction later this summer, with an estimated completion date in the fall of 2026. The leadership at ANMC is deeply committed to ensuring that patients receive high-quality care in expanded and improved facilities, addressing the critical need for enhanced healthcare service in the region.
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