Reading Hospital marked a major milestone Wednesday, October 14, with a groundbreaking ceremony for the John and MaryAnne Post Center for Emergency Care, a 20,000-square-foot expansion designed to increase treatment capacity, reduce wait times, and improve the patient experience at one of Pennsylvania’s busiest emergency departments.
Hospital leaders, members of the Post family, elected officials, and community representatives gathered outside the emergency department entrance in West Reading to celebrate the project, which is expected to be completed in approximately two years.
The expansion, made possible through a significant contribution from the Post Family Foundation, will include a rapid treatment area with dedicated quick-care beds, an on-site pharmacy, laboratory and phlebotomy services, financial counseling, and expanded reception and waiting areas for patients and families.
Charles Barbera, President and CEO of Reading Hospital, described the project as a necessary investment in the hospital’s ability to meet growing demand for emergency services.
“This is really an exciting and transformational moment for Berks County, really, and for Reading Hospital,” Barbera said during an interview following the ceremony.
Barbera explained that the hospital’s emergency department has expanded repeatedly over its history, growing from four beds to more than 100 today. Despite those expansions, he said the existing facility is no longer large enough to accommodate patient demand.
Reading Hospital currently sees approximately 120,000 emergency department patients annually, according to Barbera. He said roughly 70% of patients entering the hospital come through the emergency department.
During the ceremony, Dr. Brian Lehman, Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Reading Hospital and System Medical Director for Emergency Medicine, provided an example of the department’s daily activity.
Lehman said the emergency department treated 369 patients the previous day, including 84 patients between 3 and 7 p.m., an average of approximately 20 patients per hour during that period.
The hospital also serves as the region’s only Level I Trauma Center and provides specialized care for patients experiencing strokes, heart attacks, and other serious medical emergencies.
The expansion is expected to increase the department’s capacity to approximately 120 treatment beds, although Barbera noted that the exact number can fluctuate depending on how different treatment areas are configured.
One of the project’s central features will be a rapid treatment area operating similarly to an urgent care center within the emergency department. Barbera said this will allow patients with less serious medical needs to receive treatment without waiting alongside patients requiring more intensive emergency care.
“I think the thing that will most serve the community is two. One is an urgent care center right in the emergency department, where people won’t have to go back into the ER and wait with all the other patients,” Barbera said.
The second major improvement, he explained, will be an on-site pharmacy designed to make prescription medications available before patients leave the emergency department.
Barbera said patients sometimes experience delays obtaining medications after receiving treatment, even though the hospital already has other pharmacies on campus. The new pharmacy is intended to streamline that process and improve patients’ ability to begin prescribed treatments promptly.
Additional improvements will focus on patient comfort, including expanded waiting areas that provide more opportunities for family members to remain together during medical emergencies.
Barbera said the current waiting room frequently becomes overcrowded, limiting the hospital’s ability to accommodate accompanying family members. The expansion will provide smaller waiting spaces, although access to treatment areas will continue to depend on individual circumstances.
Construction is expected to affect the emergency department’s existing entrance, with temporary access routes established as work progresses. Barbera said patients may need to enter through the parking garage or other designated pathways while portions of the front entrance are under construction.
The hospital intends to maintain emergency department operations throughout the project, with most construction activity concentrated around the existing reception and waiting areas.
Barbera said planning for the expansion has been underway for approximately one year, and hospital officials are targeting 2028 for completion, depending on construction conditions, weather, and material availability.
Post family gift honors longstanding connection to Reading Hospital
The project will carry the names of John and MaryAnne Post in recognition of the family’s philanthropic support and longstanding relationship with Reading Hospital.
Speaking on behalf of the family during Wednesday’s ceremony, John Post Jr. reflected on his parents’ commitment to Berks County and the hospital’s role in the community.
“This is an incredibly meaningful day for our family, and in many ways a bittersweet one as we remember my father and his tireless commitment to Berks County and to the nonprofit organizations that meant so much to him,” Post said.
Post explained that his family has maintained ties to Reading since 1938, with a history connected to the region’s industrial development.
He also recalled his mother’s involvement in the hospital’s volunteer program and his own childhood experiences helping with a hospital candy cart during summer breaks.
Post said his family’s appreciation for Reading Hospital became especially personal during the final months of his father’s life, when hospital staff provided care and support during a difficult period.
“And so this gift from the Post Family Foundation, namely my mother, Mary Ann Hennings Post, and my father, John, is in large part a deep expression of gratitude,” Post said.
In a separate interview following the ceremony, Post explained that the family wanted to support the hospital’s continued growth and help improve the experience for patients seeking emergency medical care.
“We’re grateful to provide it. We hope it cuts down the wait time for whenever somebody goes in the front doors,” Post said. “And we hope to make what is usually considered to be a pretty awful experience something that’s just a little bit better to help you through troubling times in your life.”
Post also expressed enthusiasm about plans to centralize certain administrative and staff functions above the emergency department, making them more accessible to hospital personnel.
Katherine Thornton, President of the Reading Hospital Foundation, recognized the Post family’s history of supporting community organizations, including Sacred Heart Church, Catholic education, and addiction treatment services.
Thornton said the family’s contribution reflects a continued commitment to supporting families throughout Berks County.
“It’s an honor for Reading Hospital to recognize the Post family’s transformational gift by naming the emergency department the John and Mary Ann Post Center for Emergency Care,” Thornton said.
Expansion part of $70 million fundraising campaign
The emergency department expansion is among the major projects included in Reading Hospital’s $70 million comprehensive fundraising campaign, titled Honoring Our Past, Building Our Future.
Michael Stern, President and CEO of Tower Health, said the campaign represents a significant investment in the hospital’s long-term ability to serve the region.
In addition to emergency care, the campaign will focus on improvements involving the intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, and cancer care.
“As we look toward the next 5 to 10 years, we know the needs of our community will continue to grow,” Stern said. “Demand for emergency care is increasing. Health care is becoming more complex, and our responsibility is clear.”
Stern also pointed to Tower Health’s recent financial progress, saying the health system had achieved positive annual net operating income for the first time in years. He described the development as an important step toward reinvesting in patient care and facilities.
The groundbreaking comes as Reading Hospital marks 100 years at its current West Reading campus and 159 years of service to the community.
Barbera said the expansion is intended to build on that history while preparing the hospital to meet the needs of future generations.
Following remarks from hospital officials and the Post family, attendees participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking outside the emergency department entrance, marking the beginning of the next phase of the project.