Wareham’s Tobey Hospital Officially Opens New Emergency Center Tonight

The new Baldwin Makepeace Emergency Center at Wareham’s Tobey Hospital will officially open at midnight on Wednesday, May 25.

The 30,000-square foot facility will feature twice the number of treatment rooms as the current emergency department at Tobey, including dedicated behavioral health rooms, trauma bays and private overflow spaces, according to a release from Southcoast Health.

“Innovation can be found in every single detail of this state-of-the-art, class-of-the-Commonwealth Emergency Center, designed first and foremost for patients but also with visitors; nurses, providers, and staff; and first responders very much in mind,” said Southcoast Health President and CEO Dr. Ray Kruger. “This is the culmination of a long, important journey, and another journey is just beginning as we enter a new era of exceptional care close to home for the residents of – and visitors to – Greater Wareham.”

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The expanded emergency center first began construction in 2019, and marked the first upgrades to the hospital’s emergency department since 1987. One year ago today, the last structural beam for the new center was put into place, after being signed by members of the Tobey Hospital staff.

“The Board of Trustees, staff, and the entire Southcoast family is grateful for all who have contributed their time, energy, and personal resources to bring us this spectacular medical facility, and we thank the Town of Wareham and Wareham Historical Society for their cooperation and partnership,” Southcoast Health System Chairman Lou Cabral said. “Your collective efforts have been immense, and they will endure for decades to come.”

Southcoast Health noted that until midnight tonight, patients seeking emergency care should continue to enter at 43 High Street; after midnight, they should enter at 124 Main Street, where the new Emergency Center is located.

According to Southcoast Health, “the Baldwin Makepeace Emergency Center at Tobey Hospital was made possible by an ongoing Capital Campaign, co-chaired by Alice Rice and Mark Perkins, along with major donations from the Baldwin and Makepeace families and significant contributions from hundreds of other benefactors.”

“I want to thank Suffolk Construction, Sagamore, Madison Matthew Interiors, Lighthouse Masonry Inc., Horacio’s Welding and Sheet Metal, Glynn Electric, Regal Floor Covering, and the many other trades and vendors involved with this project,” said Vice President of Support Services Phil Oliveira. “Thank you to Project Executive Nicole Rosa and all of our Southcoast colleagues, past and present, who helped navigate a global pandemic and supply chain crisis to bring us from conception to completion.”