Baptist Health Paducah announces $19 million expansion and renovation

PADUCAH, KY (June 9, 2026) — Baptist Health Paducah will expand and renovate its Surgical and Central Sterile departments to meet the growing demand for advanced surgical procedures, better serve patients and decrease the need to seek care away from home.

The $19 million renovation and expansion is expected to be completed in fall 2027. It includes the addition of two new da Vinci robotic operating rooms and one new Siemens biplane operating room for advanced endovascular techniques, as well as the relocation and expansion of the Central Sterile department. Upgrades to Central Sterile include new STERIS equipment, additional prep and pack tables, one V-Pro Sterilizer, two steam sterilizers, a cart washer, triple-bay sinks, a pass-through drying cabinet and four washers/disinfectors with 20-minute cycles. 

“This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality, advanced surgical care for our patients,” said Kenny Boyd, president of Baptist Health Paducah. “By modernizing our facility and expanding our capabilities, we are better positioned to support our surgical teams and meet the growing needs of our patients.”

In 2012, the hospital underwent a $17 million expansion, which included the addition of a hybrid operating room, two open-heart suites, a dedicated da Vinci robotic surgery suite, a family waiting area and upgrades to 11 existing surgical suites and outpatient surgery.

The project will help meet the growing demand for both general and robotic procedures. In 2025, more than 14,000 surgeries were performed at the hospital, including more than 1,700 robotic procedures. The three additional operating rooms will expand access to advanced surgical procedures and increase efficiency in patient care.

The hospital is currently equipped with some of the most advanced robotic-assisted surgical technologies available across multiple specialties, including general surgery, gynecology, urology, pulmonary, neurosurgery, cardiology, thoracic surgery, and ear, nose, and throat (ENT).

“This is an exciting time for our operative department,” said Brad Housman, MD, vice president and chief medical officer. “We continue to lead the community in surgical specialties and are excited to expand our operative services. We have new surgeons joining existing service lines in the coming months and are also expanding into new surgical specialties to better serve patients.”

With expanded surgical capabilities comes the need for additional space to clean and sterilize surgical instruments.

“The expansion of our sterile processing allows us to keep up the pace with the growing demands of an expanding department,” Dr. Housman said. “We are very fortunate to financially have the opportunity to invest in our future for the benefit of the residents of western Kentucky.”

Since becoming the first hospital in the region to perform open heart surgery in 1985, Baptist Health Paducah has continued to invest in advanced surgical technology. In 2008, the first da Vinci Surgical System was introduced to Baptist Health Paducah and has maintained the distinction of being Paducah’s only accredited Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) since 2017 and has been accredited in Minimally Invasive Gynecology since 2014.

Ray Black & Son is the general contractor for the project.

To learn more about surgical services at Baptist Health Paducah, visit Surgical Services - Baptist Health.