Welcome to Our Expanded
Emergency Department
With doubled capacity in our redesigned ED,
patients can expect shorter wait times and
more benefits.
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Wood-grain floors, soothing colors, new ceilings and warm
lighting can help patients and family members relax in the
spacious, comfortable waiting area.
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This spring, we completed a $2.5 million expansion and renovation of the emergency department (ED), the first
project in a master plan to upgrade the entire medical
center.
"The ED is really the doorway to St. Mary's Regional
Medical Center," says Chief Operating Officer Nicholas
Crafts. "Now that we've expanded and modernized this
doorway, we're well-positioned to continue growing the
rest of the hospital."
Increased Emergency Services
The ED has been offering exclusive neurosurgery services
since 1982. Mr. Crafts notes that such offerings are
important considerations when letting loved ones know
where you want to be treated for a potential brain-related
injury.
The need for all emergency services is increasing in the
community. "We've started seeing more elderly and ill patients
in the ED," says Medical Director Stephen Price, M.D.
"The new ED enhances our ability to care for those
patients and see more patients overall."
The expanded ED also will provide greater comfort for
patients and their families, more room for doctors and
staff to work and brand-new, advanced equipment.
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Every patient room is in full view of a nurse's station.
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Attention to Detail
Administrators, doctors and staff shared thoughts on every
detail of the ED's layout and design. They recommended that
every patient room be in full view of one of the two nurse's
stations. "Though we have monitors in every room, we wanted
to make sure we could see all our patients, and they could
see us," says Yolanda Romanos, RN, Director of the ED.
Careful attention also was given to appearance and
design. Wood-grain floors, soothing colors, new ceilings
and cabinetry and warm lighting can help patients relax
during difficult and often stressful times.
The expansion project also includes the region's only
inpatient dialysis unit. Located on the first floor, it
provides dialysis for hospitalized patients.
Future Projects
Next on the master plan is a renovation of the Intensive
Care Unit, followed by ongoing upgrades to patient rooms,
the cardiac rehabilitation and congestive heart failure
departments, the pharmacy and the admitting area.
The next five years will be busy ones, and Mr. Crafts is
proud of how everyone came together on the ED project.
"We stayed fully operational and minimized noise and
disturbance. Our patient satisfaction survey scores went
up during this time," he says. "That's a testament to
our superb staff.
"Building a new ED was the right place to kick off the
implementation of our master plan," Mr. Crafts says.
"We're proud to host one of the region's most modern
emergency departments and we're looking forward to the
next phase."
New Features in the ED
- New, separate entrances for ambulances and for
the public
- 17 private rooms (an increase of eight beds) with cardiac
monitoring capabilities and flat-screen televisions
- A spacious, comfortable waiting area
- A private examination room for treating and
counseling victims of sexual assault
- A decontamination room to treat patients who
have been exposed to hazardous substances
- A pneumatic tube system to send fluid and tissue
samples directly to the lab
- Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS)
used to instantly acquire, store and provide secure
access to imaging exam results
- A centrally located security office, and new,
dedicated area for physicians and other emergency
medical professionals
- New lighting, stretchers, monitors and furniture
