Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Expands Emergency, Specialty Care in Kitsap County

Dec. 9, 2025

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) today announced two significant expansion projects designed to increase access to essential health care services in Kitsap County and beyond. A new patient tower at St. Michael Medical Center (SMMC) will add 74 hospital beds to relieve its busy emergency department (ED) and improve access to specialty care. Concurrently, VMFH opened Washington State’s second hybrid ED and urgent care location in Port Orchard, building on the successful opening of its Bremerton hybrid facility earlier this year.

"We have proudly served Kitsap County for more than 100 years, and our commitment to expand access to care is stronger than ever," said Chad Melton, Interim President, Puget Sound Market, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. "The new tower will bring even more services to patients, ease demand on our emergency department, and create more job opportunities for local residents. I couldn't be more proud of the team for bringing this vision to life and building a stronger foundation for our next 100 years."

A New Chapter of Patient Care 

The opening of SMMC's new patient tower marks a significant milestone in VMFH's dedication to the health of Kitsap County, coinciding with the medical center's five-year anniversary at its current Silverdale location. As a Level III Trauma Center and home to a comprehensive cancer care center and medical pavilion with a variety of specialty care services, SMMC has become a central hub for high-quality care in the region.

The expansion increases hospital capacity to serve the growing Kitsap County community while also creating new job opportunities for local residents through the addition of 10 new physicians and more than 65 additional team members. The new tower capacity will support growth for specialties such as spine surgery, orthopedics, OB-GYN, cardiology, gastroenterology, and cancer care, among others.

In addition, SMMC continues to have one of the busiest emergency departments in the state. The additional tower capacity will help provide immediate relief to the bustling medical center ED, as will VMFH’s other community investments including a second hybrid emergency department and urgent care location.

Innovative Hybrid ED/Urgent Care Model Expands to Port Orchard

Just one week prior to the new tower opening, VMFH opened its second hybrid emergency department and urgent care clinic in Port Orchard (450 S. Kitsap Blvd.). This innovative model of care offers emergency services and urgent care all under one roof, simplifying decision-making for patients and ensuring they only pay for the services they truly need. VMFH Emergency and Urgent Care – Bremerton, which opened earlier this year, has already significantly improved emergency and urgent care access within the community, serving 15,000 patients since March 2025.

The new Port Orchard hybrid location operates seven days a week and is fully equipped like a traditional hospital emergency department, featuring onsite lab equipment and a radiology suite with X-ray and a multi-slice CT scanner. Patients are seen by emergency-trained physicians and nurses, ensuring appropriate, timely and efficient care, with most patients expected to experience shorter wait times than a traditional emergency department. The ED is open 24 hours a day and urgent care hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Patients can learn more at euc.vmfh.org.

Deepening Community Commitment Beyond Hospital Walls

VMFH's commitment to Kitsap County extends well beyond its medical center. VMFH continues to enhance access to primary care with its family medicine clinic in Bremerton. The VMFH Family Medicine Residency program is actively cultivating the next generation of local physicians, training 24 family medicine residents annually, with eight graduating each year. Many of these providers choose to stay and practice in the community.

Through a strategic partnership, VMFH recently provided $2.5 million in funding to support Olympic College's Healthcare Expansion Project and new Poulsbo campus to support local workforce development and recruitment.

These recent milestones – and more – reflect VMFH’s ongoing commitment to meeting the evolving health needs of the communities it serves, enhancing access to care, and creating a healthier future for all.
  

About Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) is an integrated health system serving the Puget Sound region, including 10 hospitals and 300 care sites. Founded in 1891, VMFH embraces its long history of caring for the most vulnerable, especially the poor and underserved, and meeting the evolving health care needs of the vibrant, diverse communities it serves. VMFH is a proud home to the Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the United States designed specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS, and the Benaroya Research Institute, an internationally recognized institution for autoimmune disease research. VMFH is part of CommonSpirit, one of the nation’s largest health systems, dedicated to advancing health for all people.