Work is ready to begin on the new $450 million care tower at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
The project includes an upgraded emergency department, state-of-the-art operating rooms and enhanced adult intensive care units.
The care tower will be built where Parking Deck B currently stands. Before this parking deck can be taken down, two helipads will be built on the top of Parking Deck C, near the emergency department and the Comprehensive Cancer Center, to accommodate medical helicopters from Wake Forest Baptist’s AirCare, and those from other hospitals and air ambulance providers.
A new elevator – which will be large enough to accommodate a stretcher and several staff members – will be installed in Parking Deck C to allow patients to be quickly and safely transported from helicopters to the emergency department, trauma center and operating rooms. Plans call for an additional helipad to be built on top of the care tower.
The existing helipads on the top of Parking Deck B will then be removed, along with the entire parking deck.
The care tower is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.