SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The final beam of the new patient care tower at St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center has been put into place. Employees gathered Friday morning to watch a crane install the last beam, which was signed by representatives to leave a lasting memory of the project.

The tower is part of a $140 million project that includes 14 new operating and more than 100 private patient rooms.

"St. Joseph's is almost 20 percent bigger today than it was a year ago. This project is going to allow us to even grow further. We're really becoming a regional health care provider. We see patients coming from as far north as Ogdensburg, from Binghamton, from the Auburn community, over to Oneida," said Kathryn Ruscitto, St. Joseph's Hospital CEO.

They're expecting to be using the newly constructed operating rooms by this summer and the patient rooms next year.