WILTON — MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington is preparing to expand its emergency department as part of a multi-phase renovation aimed at meeting growing patient demand.

Barbara Sergio, president of the hospital, told the Wilton Board of Selectpersons the project has been underway for more than a year and is in the second of five phases.

“We are getting ready to go into phase three,” Sergio said. “What it does is it doubles the ED capacity as soon as we open that.”

She said the expansion is expected to be completed around Memorial Day, bringing the number of emergency department rooms from about seven to about 18.

The increase comes as patient volume has steadily grown. Sergio said the hospital sees about 19,000 patients annually, up from roughly 13,000 seven years ago.

“I think we’ve planned adequately,” she said, noting that growth has been gradual and the addition of urgent care services has helped direct less critical cases away from the emergency department.

While the expansion will improve capacity, Sergio said upcoming construction phases will disrupt access to the hospital’s main entrance.

The front canopy used for patient drop-off and pickup will be replaced due to structural issues, and the main lobby will be fully renovated. That work is expected to take place through the summer and into the fall.

“The entire front of the hospital, the lobby, gets gutted and renovated as part of this work,” she said.

Hospital officials are working with contractors to develop alternative access routes for patients needing services such as lab work or imaging while the entrance is closed.

“It’s going to cause some frustration later this summer,” Sergio said, citing expected changes to traffic patterns and access points.

Sergio said the hospital is working to keep the public informed, including outreach at local meetings and updates through news and social media.

Despite the disruptions, she said the long-term outlook remains positive. Future phases of construction are expected to move more quickly, with the overall project potentially nearing completion by the end of this year or early 2027.

The upgraded emergency department will also include dedicated behavioral health and mental health crisis spaces, with new equipment designed to improve care for patients who require longer stays.

“My biggest worry is making sure that the community isn’t impacted as much as I’m worried it’s going to be with that front entrance blocked off,” Sergio said. “It’s only going to be for a couple of months, but that’s a long time when you have a lot of people coming in and out every day.”

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