Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has expanded emergency and specialty care access in Kitsap County with the opening of a new patient tower at St. Michael Medical Center and two hybrid emergency department and urgent care facilities in Bremerton and Port Orchard.
The new patient tower at St. Michael Medical Center adds 74 hospital beds, increasing capacity at one of the busiest emergency departments in the state and improving access to specialty services. The expansion coincides with the medical center’s fifth anniversary at its Silverdale location.
The new patient tower at St. Michael Medical Center adds 74 hospital beds, increasing capacity at one of the busiest emergency departments in the state and improving access to specialty services. The expansion coincides with the medical center’s fifth anniversary at its Silverdale location.
“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 of the Puget Sound Market for 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.”
St. Michael Medical Center is a Level III Trauma Center and includes a comprehensive cancer care center and medical pavilion offering a range of specialty services. The expanded capacity supports growth in areas including spine surgery, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, cardiology, gastroenterology and cancer care.
The expansion also brings workforce growth, with the addition of 10 physicians and more than 65 new team members.
In addition to the tower, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has expanded its emergency care footprint through a hybrid emergency department and urgent care model. The health system opened its second hybrid location in Port Orchard, following the opening of its Bremerton facility earlier this year.
The hybrid model combines emergency and urgent care services under one roof, allowing patients to receive the appropriate level of care without having to choose between facilities. The Bremerton location has served approximately 15,000 patients since opening in March 2025.
The Port Orchard facility, located at 450 S. Kitsap Blvd., operates seven days a week. Emergency services are available 24 hours a day, while urgent care operates from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The site is staffed by emergency-trained physicians and nurses and includes onsite laboratory services, X-ray imaging and a multi-slice CT scanner.
The hybrid facilities are intended to help relieve pressure on hospital emergency departments while improving access to timely care for non-life-threatening conditions.
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has also continued investments beyond hospital-based care. The system operates a family medicine clinic in Bremerton and supports physician recruitment through its Family Medicine Residency Program, which trains 24 residents annually, with eight graduating each year. Many program graduates remain in the region to practice.
The health system has also partnered with Olympic College, providing $2.5 million to support the college’s Healthcare Expansion Project and new Poulsbo campus, aimed at strengthening the local health care workforce.
Together, the patient tower expansion and hybrid emergency care model reflect Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s ongoing efforts to meet growing demand for care in Kitsap County while supporting workforce development and access to services across the region.
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