Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah recently broke ground on a major renovation and expansion of its emergency department and Level 1 trauma center and announced a $1 million donation from Parker’s  Convenience Stores.
“This $15 million expansion project is of critical importance for our community and our region, because it will allow us to serve even more patients,” Memorial President and CEO Maggie Gill said. “Greg Parker is a passionate advocate for the redesign process of our emergency department, and we are grateful for his dedication and enthusiasm for this project.”
“It’s an honor to partner with such an important institution. I have had multiple experiences with the emergency center and have seen firsthand the high level of care that these fine physicians, nurses and health-care professionals provide,” Parker’s CEO Greg Parker said. “While many families need the services from a cancer or heart center, absolutely every family needs the help of their emergency or trauma center. At Parker’s, we are committed to serving everyone in our community, just like Memorial. We look forward to a positive relationship with Memorial, working to renovate, expand and improve the emergency and traumas center for the benefit all the residents in our retail market area.”
The new, expanded facility will be named Parker’s Emergency and Trauma Center. Parker, a member of the Memorial Health Foundation’s Board of Trustees, established a $1 million endowment for emergency services at Memorial Health.
The current emergency department was built in 1992 to accommodate up to 45,000 visitors per year. But last year, Memorial received 95,000 emergency visits. Another 2,800 people received care in Memorial’s Level 1 trauma center, the only one of its kind between Charleston, S.C., and Jacksonville.
The expansion will bring the total number of emergency-room treatment areas to 74, which is almost double the current number. The project is expected to take two years to complete.
Parker’s operates 34 convenience stores in seven counties, including Liberty, throughout Southeast Georgia and South Carolina.