UW Health will open a $140 million expansion at East Madison Hospital on Nov. 2 that will significantly increase its surgical capacity.
The project has added 120,000 square feet to the Madison, Wis., hospital, expanding its footprint to roughly 620,000 square feet. Its number of ORs will increase from 14 to 20, surgical prep and recovery bay capacity will increase from 23 to 60, and inpatient bed capacity will increase from 84 to 98. UW Health has hired approximately 250 new employees to staff the space, in addition to existing staff.
The health system stated that the expansion is a response to rising demand for surgical services, driven by a growing but aging population and increasing numbers of patients seeking specialized care.
Since opening in 2015, surgical volumes at East Madison Hospital have increased from approximately 6,000 procedures in 2015 to approximately 14,000 in 2025, while inpatient admissions have doubled from approximately 2,200 admissions per year to 4,400.
The additional space will allow East Madison Hospital to perform approximately 30% more surgeries and accommodate approximately 6% more inpatient admissions, according to UW Health.
The expansion will also find several specialized surgical services newly available at East Madison Hospital, including gynecology, gynecologic oncology, ophthalmology and urology. These surgical services will be relocated from other UW Health locations. UW Health stated that it “expects to improve access and reduce wait times for patients seeking specialty care” as a result.
“The need for specialized care continues to grow across the region,” stated Ryann DeGraff, UW Health vice president and regional chief operating officer, East Madison Hospital. “Many patients travel to Madison for care that isn’t available in their local communities, and this expansion helps us meet that increased demand and improve access for patients across Wisconsin.”
