Mountain mission.

• Position: WESTERN REGION - Mission Hospital is going to construct a surgical towers - Brief article

Mission Hospital is embarking on one of the largest construction projects in Asheville's history as it builds a new surgical tower. The $404 million development will create a new emergency department across the street from its current location and modernize Mission's patient care. Its main location a mile and a half south of downtown Asheville is split into two campuses: Memorial and St. Joseph's, reflecting the two groups that merged in 1998 to create what is now the state's sixth largest hospital system with annual revenue of about $1.38 billion and 10,000 employees.

Its existing emergency department has been too small for a long time, partly because of an influx of patients needing mental or behavioral health treatment, says Sonya Greek, a Mission senior vice president. The hospital also wants to reduce waiting times and add operating rooms. Renovation of the outdated facility didn't make financial sense, Greek says. "When we did the cost...