Community Resources Update

St. Michael Medical Center is proceeding with the next phase of our development process in Kitsap. The hospital has worked with patients, employees, board members and the mayor to ensure we developed a plan that meets the growing needs of the community. The next phase of work will include razing the St. Michael Medical Center Bremerton campus, selling the property and transferring those beds to a future patient tower at the Silverdale campus. Demolition of the Bremerton facility is anticipated to begin later this year.

“We have been carefully evaluating our next steps in terms of our footprint in Kitsap. We are confident this path forward will allow us to grow with Kitsap, providing a range of health care options that meet the needs of the community,” said Chad Melton, President, St. Michael Medical Center. “We are proud of our long legacy serving the Kitsap community and look forward to continuing to expand the comprehensive care our dedicated team provides on the peninsula.”

VMFH is committed to maintaining emergent/urgent care in Bremerton to meet the needs of the community. The system is exploring options for this type of facility and plans to share information on decisions when available.

St. Michael Medical Center has been undergoing a years-long process to expand access to care on the Kitsap Peninsula. In 2020, the St. Michael Medical Center expansion opened in Silverdale, including a Level III Trauma Center hospital, Cancer Center and Medical Pavilion in one central campus. The next phase of development will meet the growing needs of our Kitsap community and provide a range of facilities to ensure the appropriate level of care to all.

Patient Tower

The patient tower at the Silverdale campus has been part of the St. Michael Medical Center expansion plans since the state approved the Certificate of Need for the project in 2017. As part of phase II of the expansion, the patient tower will house the additional 74 beds currently located at the Bremerton campus to increase hospital capacity. Planning is underway and additional information will be shared on the construction process when available.

Q: What is happening to St. Michael Medical Center Bremerton?

• Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) will raze the St. Michael Medical Center Bremerton campus, sell the property and transfer those beds to a future patient tower at the Silverdale campus.
• Demolition of the Bremerton facility is anticipated to begin later this year.
• Once the permitting process is complete, it will take 18 months to two years to complete demolition.

Q: Why will construction take up to two years to complete?

• There is significant construction work to be done at the facility, including securely transitioning existing IT infrastructure.
• Steps to sell the property may begin while the construction is underway.

Q: Why isn’t VMFH keeping the Bremerton campus open?

• The existing hospital in Bremerton had been expanded many times and was landlocked - there was no more room for growth, which is why we opened SMMC Silverdale in December 2020.
• VMFH is committed to maintaining emergent/urgent care in Bremerton to meet the needs of the community. The system is exploring options for this type of facility and plans to share information on decisions when available.

Q: What is the timeline for the new patient tower?

• Planning is underway and additional information will be shared on the construction process when available.

Q: Does VMFH still plan to open an urgent care facility in Bremerton?

• VMFH is committed to maintaining emergent/urgent care in Bremerton to meet the needs of the community. The system is exploring options for this type of facility and plans to share information on decisions when available.