WAUWATOSA, Wis. (Sept. 30, 2025) –Today, Froedtert Hospital announced plans to open a specialized Obstetric Emergency Department that will provide round-the-clock emergency care for obstetric and pregnant patients. It will be located in the space formerly occupied by the Children’s Wisconsin Emergency Department and is expected to open in the spring of 2026. This Obstetric Emergency Department is part of a larger expansion to the Birth Center, which will add 12 new labor and delivery rooms and a new C-section suite.
“This expansion addresses the growing need for specialized maternal care in our region,” said Austin Reeder, president of Froedtert Hospital. “The dedicated Birth Center entrance and obstetric emergency department will improve access, allowing us to better serve expectant families with dedicated resources and specialized physicians and clinicians.”
Currently, around 1,800 obstetric and pregnant patients present at Froedtert’s Emergency Department each year. The expansion will increase capacity in the hospital’s main emergency department while providing specialized obstetric care.
The Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin health network, recognized for its expertise in specialized care, will join fewer than a handful of hospitals statewide offering dedicated obstetric emergency departments. The expansion addresses growing regional demand for maternal health care services and increases access to critical care. The specialized emergency department will provide targeted care for pregnancy-related medical situations when families need it most.
Froedtert Hospital is working with Zimmerman Architectural Studios, Inc. on facility design considerations. The Boldt Company will serve as general contractor for the project.
About Froedtert Hospital
Froedtert Hospital, the academic medical center of the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network, has 766 beds and is a leading referral resource for advanced medical care. Froedtert Hospital also operates the region’s only adult Level I Trauma Center. The primary adult teaching affiliate of MCW, Froedtert Hospital is a major training facility for medical, nursing and health technical students. It is also a respected research center, participating in some 2,000 research studies — including clinical trials — every year. Froedtert Hospital is located on the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center campus. For more information, visit froedtert.com.
About the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network
The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network is a partnership between Froedtert ThedaCare Health and the Medical College of Wisconsin, supporting a shared mission of patient care, innovation, medical research and education. The health network includes eastern Wisconsin’s only academic medical center and adult Level I Trauma Center at Froedtert Hospital, Milwaukee, an internationally recognized training and research center engaged in thousands of clinical trials and studies. The Froedtert & MCW health network includes 10 hospital locations, more than 2,400 physicians and more than 45 health centers and clinics.
About Froedtert ThedaCare Health
Froedtert ThedaCare Health is an integrated health care system serving nearly half of Wisconsin’s population. The team of 25,000+ team members, physicians and clinicians is transforming communities through prediction, prevention and partnerships with excellence in primary and specialty care in 19 hospitals and more than 360 outpatient locations. Through the enhanced partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin, Froedtert ThedaCare Health possesses the academic foundation to discover tomorrow’s breakthroughs. The system is uniquely positioned to be the trusted partner in advancing the health of our communities.
