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Emergency Medicine News

 

Emergency Medicine

Highland Hospital Emergency Department

Expanding Our Department–Extending Our Care

This year, 20 percent of us will find ourselves in a hospital emergency department at least once. Highland Hospital's Emergency Department is one of five thousand Emergency Departments across the country providing care to 100 million people each year. According to the American Hospital Association, these EDs play an increasingly vital role in health care: "Originally conceived to treat the most urgent medical crises, hospital emergency departments are now the front door to the entire health care system."

The Highland Hospital Emergency Department has been providing critical, compassionate and high-quality care to the Rochester community for over a century. In order to continue meeting the needs of our patients and to continue to provide high quality care, we will be expanding the Emergency Department to provide more space, greater efficiency, and new services.

The New Highland Emergency Department - Better Care for Tomorrow's Patients

Planning for the expansion has been done with our patients and the community in mind. The project will be completed in stages in order to prevent disruption of our service to the community. In fact, phase 1 of this $4-million dollar project was completed in May 2002 with the addition of four acute rooms fully equipped with heart monitors.

Ultimately, the new Emergency Department will grow from 7,000 square feet to 12,000 square feet, and will expand from 19 beds to 24 beds. The new design will feature a central nursing station as a hub, surrounded by patient rooms, dedicated areas for trauma, and various specialty patient areas, as well as a "fast track" area for patients with relatively minor conditions.

Key features of the new emergency department include:

  • Central nursing station. Will allow for maximum visibility of patients, as well as improved efficiency and traffic flow for staff.
  • New information system. New system will enable bedside registration, electronic patient tracking and documentation. Patients can be cared for more quickly without registering at the reception desk. Electronic patient tracking will allow all staff to know the status of each patient at a glance, which will in turn result in faster care.
  • Trauma room. Will cater to the needs of the most seriously injured patients.
  • Gynecological rooms. Will cater to the care and privacy needs of women experiencing a gynecological emergency.
  • Decontamination Room. This room will be located near the ambulance entrance to provide care and safety for patients exposed to toxic chemicals or biological hazards, as well as to protect the well-being of the community.
  • Treat-and-Release Area. This area will include seven beds dedicated to meeting the needs of patients with relatively minor conditions, allowing them to be treated quickly, privately, and away from more severe emergency cases.
  • Private Family Room. Will allow families of both critically ill patients and grieving families with the privacy and quiet they need.