Mount Nittany Health hosted a groundbreaking celebration on May 16, 2023, officially marking the start of construction on the new Patient Tower at the Mount Nittany Medical Center. Mount Nittany Health employees and representatives from Whiting-Turner Contracting Company gathered at the future site of the new tower to commemorate this milestone.
“Mount Nittany Health's new Patient Tower will have a significant impact on the Centre Region. The new Patient Tower will have 168 private patient rooms, which will create a technologically advanced, comfortable environment for patients to recover and heal. Their families and loved ones also will have more space in the room and will have access to expanded dining areas and outdoor respite spaces. The design of the 10-floor tower will bring natural light into the rooms while capturing spectacular views of nature in a sustainable building,” Thomas Covaleski, MD, Chief of Medical Staff, Mount Nittany Medical Center and Hospitalist, Mount Nittany Physician Group, said.
Opening in 2026, the new Patient Tower will deliver an advanced patient-centered experience and serve an expanding number of Mount Nittany Health providers.
The new Patient Tower will include telemetry capabilities, outpatient clinics, point-of-care registration, enhanced dining and food service preparation, outdoor space for patients, visitors, and staff, a modernized data center, a central utility plant, a 171-space parking deck, and walkway, and improved storage space.
“Overall, Mount Nittany Health's new Patient Tower is a major investment in the health of our local community and ensures access to high-quality healthcare for those living in the Centre region,” Covaleski added.
Opening in 2026, the new Patient Tower will deliver an advanced patient-centered experience and serve an expanding number of Mount Nittany Health providers. This strategic investment builds on Mount Nittany Health’s commitment to its mission of ‘Healthier people, stronger community,’ and is part of the health system’s focus on providing award-winning care close to home.
Founded in 1902, the Mount Nittany Medical Center began as an 8-bed infirmary in Bellefonte, Pa. More than 120 years later, Mount Nittany Health has grown into an independent, community-governed health system that serves more than 400,000 members of the community.
Physician and staff feedback has been an essential part of the process and will continue throughout the planning and construction phases.
“Nearly 40 Mount Nittany Health team members have served on the initial planning team and more than 200 employees have been involved in the design development phase,” Covaleski said. “Staff were invited to visit life-size mockups of the patient rooms and bathrooms. Over 300 staff members walked through the spaces and provided feedback about the room design and care capabilities. Different teams brought their actual equipment and instruments to the ‘mock rooms’ to get a feel for the space and provide real-world input.”
Design development for the project began in August 2022. The internationally recognized design firm, Stantec, is the architecture firm of record, and Whiting-Turner will manage the construction. Occupancy is expected by December 2026.
More information, including updates about the new tower project, will be posted at mountnittany.org/patient-tower.
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