Feeding our community: Hospital expansion kicks off with kitchen remodel

As our communities grow, so does the demand on our staff and facilities.

MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital already feels that pressure. Good Samaritan’s emergency department was recently ranked the fourth busiest in the nation, with more than 160,000 patients per year — and inpatient volumes average 21,000 annually, with further growth expected.

As the only provider of inpatient care in East Pierce County, ensuring that we’re able to meet these increasing demands and provide excellent, comprehensive care means taking action now. In 2025, Good Samaritan began a 20-year plan to expand its campus with the addition of a 160-bed patient tower.

But where does that work begin?

Just as the kitchen is often the heart and soul of a home, it also serves that role within our hospitals. To feed patients, visitors and staff in this new tower, it needs a new kitchen.

“The kitchen is the heartbeat of this campus. It’s what feeds and nourishes our community, our patients and our staff,” says Nathan Butts, AVP of hospital operations at Good Samaritan. “Our current kitchen has been in place for quite some time, and we’ve been growing as our community has … but our kitchen hasn’t had the opportunity to expand with that. So we’re still producing over 1,000 meals a day out of just one tray line. This new expansion is going to allow us to quadruple that.”

In partnership with local leaders, Abbott Construction began work on the kitchen in late 2025. The project includes a remodel of the existing kitchen and construction of a new space, which will include all new appliances and equipment.

As a not-for-profit organization, MultiCare is excited for the opportunity to reinvest directly into our community, says Dawn Anuszkiewicz, Good Samaritan president and East Pierce County market leader. The majority of the project’s funding comes from MultiCare Health System.

“I want to assure the communities of East Pierce, Puyallup, Sumner and the whole region that we are here at MultiCare Good Samaritan to take care of you and your most precious loved ones,” Anuszkiewicz says. “And we’re so excited that we’re kicking off our expansion and moving forward in being able to care for our next generation.”

Watch the video to hear from the nutrition services team and learn more about the kitchen project.