ROGERS - Mercy celebrated a significant milestone in the progress of its new seven-story tower during a "topping out" ceremony in September.

The hospital tower is the biggest piece of a multimillion dollar expansion Mercy announced in April 2016 that includes the addition of seven new clinics in Northwest Arkansas. Leading up to the event, Mercy has encouraged co-workers to sign a beam that will be hoisted into place Monday.

The $141 million patient tower will take Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas from 200 beds to 300-plus beds with space available for future inpatient growth up to 360 beds. Some enhancements to the hospital include a new hybrid cardiac catheterization lab, expansion of the neonatal intensive care unit and a new 500-space parking lot.

The building's contractor, McCarthy, projects the tower will be complete in August 2019.

Mercy's investment in hospital and clinic expansions is expected to total $277 million. Along with the expansion, Mercy will add 1,000 health care jobs, including about 100 physicians.