Memorial Health in Savannah broke ground Wednesday to begin a major renovation and expansion of its emergency department and Level 1 trauma center and announced a $1 million donation from Parker’s Convenience Stores.

“This $15 million expansion project is of critical importance for our community and our region, because it will allow us to serve even more patients,” said Maggie Gill, president and CEO of Memorial Health. “Greg Parker is a passionate advocate for the redesign process of our emergency department and we are grateful for his dedication and enthusiasm for this project.”

 “It’s an honor to partner with such an important institution. I myself have had multiple experiences with the emergency center, and have seen firsthand the high level of care that these fine physicians, nurses and healthcare professionals provide,” said Greg Parker, CEO of Parker’s Convenience Stores. “While many families need the services from a cancer or heart center, absolutely every family needs the help of their emergency or trauma center. At Parker’s, we are committed to serving everyone in our community, just like Memorial. We look forward to a positive relationship with Memorial, working to renovate, expand and improve the emergency and traumas center for the benefit all the residents in our retail market area.”

The new, expanded facility will be named Parker’s Emergency & Trauma Center in honor of Parker’s Convenience Stores. Parker, a member of the Memorial Health Foundation’s Board of Trustees, established a $1 million endowment for emergency services at Memorial Health.

“Of course, this expansion project would not be possible without the support of our Chatham County Commission, who enabled Memorial’s bond refinancing with county credit support. This project was one of the priorities we brought to them when we began discussions with our commissioners, and we are grateful for their support,” said Gill.