St. Luke’s University Health Network announced this morning it is doubling the size of its Monroe campus.

The network will be adding a 175,000 square-foot patient care tower to its Monroe Campus in response to rising demand for the network’s nationally recognized healthcare services.

It will have 36 beds, additional operating rooms and procedure space and expanded outpatient programs, as well as shell space for future development. Parking will also be expanded.

The announcement was made at a news conference Thursday morning.

“When we get together, we put together a treatment plan that’s based on a patient’s goals to help optimize their health and quality of life. Last year I was given the opportunity to get back into academic medicine practice together with internal medicine residents who helped me care for my patients. I think my patients appreciate having young, eager fresh eyes engaged in their health care, both in my office and here in the hospital,” said Dr. Dennis Degler, St. Luke’s Monroe Chief of Medicine.

“I really believe that patients receive the best care when the doctor that treats them when they’re at their sickest also treats them when they’re at their best. There is no question that these last 18 months have been the most challenging in my career with this pandemic,” Degler said.

The campus was among the first in Pennsylvania to have to deal with the first wave of COVID-19.

“I was so proud to see our leadership team rise to this challenge, to see how this community trust lifesaving care. I’m also proud to the future of this campus, and excited about the next phase of our expansion, this next phase expansion will allow us to provide additional services in the community that will allow us to continue to recruit the best and the brightest in the fields of medicine,” he said.

The addition will create 80 new permanent jobs, with more to come as spaces become occupied. Groundbreaking is slated for spring 2022.