Here are nine emergency department expansions announced in the past month that are designed to increase capacity for growing patient volumes. The expansions are listed in reverse chronological order.
1. Sutter Amador Hospital in Jackson, Calif., is opening a new ED wing. The hospital's ED has treated more than 18,000 patients since 2011, an increase of more than 12 percent from its 2007 volume.
2. Wilkes Regional Medical Center in North Wilkesboro, N.C., opened a new ED. The ED was originally built to accommodate roughly 40 people daily. By May, however, the ED's daily volume was more than 100 people per day.
3. Deaconess Gateway Hospital in Newburgh, Ind., plans to open its ED expansion June 1. When the ED first opened in January 2006, the hospital estimated there would be 15,500 patient visits in 2008 and 23,000 in 2015. The ED expanded in 2008, and in 2010, the ED already had 31,000 visits. The hospital predicts 37,000 ED visits for 2012.
4. Ephrata (Pa.) Community Hospital began constructing a new $13 million ED. The current ED was designed for 16,000 annual ED visits; the hospital expects to see more than 32,000 ED patients this year.
5. Chestertown, Md.-based Chester River Health System is planning an ED expansion. The ED sees roughly 16,000 people annually, and the number of ED visits has increased by 6.8 percent so far this year.
6. UW Health Partners Watertown (Wis.) Regional Medical Center is planning a new ED and women's health unit. Last year, the hospital saw more than 19,000 ED and urgent care patients, although the current ED was designed to serve only 10,000 to 12,000 patients annually.
7. Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center began a $35 million ED renovation and expansion project. Patient visits to the ED have increased nearly 70 percent from 2005, growing to 110,484 annual visits last year, according to the report. The new facility will accommodate up to 120,000 annual ED visits.
8. Ocean Medical Center in Brick, N.J., broke ground on an $85 million ED expansion project. The current ED was built to serve 17,000 annual patient visits. Current ED volume, however, has exceeded 51,000 annual visits.
9. Lexington (N.C.) Medical Center, part of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Wake Forest Baptist Health, will begin a $1.8 million ED expansion in June. Last year, ED patient visits increased by 3,000, bringing total patient visits to nearly 35,000, according to the release.
1. Sutter Amador Hospital in Jackson, Calif., is opening a new ED wing. The hospital's ED has treated more than 18,000 patients since 2011, an increase of more than 12 percent from its 2007 volume.
2. Wilkes Regional Medical Center in North Wilkesboro, N.C., opened a new ED. The ED was originally built to accommodate roughly 40 people daily. By May, however, the ED's daily volume was more than 100 people per day.
3. Deaconess Gateway Hospital in Newburgh, Ind., plans to open its ED expansion June 1. When the ED first opened in January 2006, the hospital estimated there would be 15,500 patient visits in 2008 and 23,000 in 2015. The ED expanded in 2008, and in 2010, the ED already had 31,000 visits. The hospital predicts 37,000 ED visits for 2012.
4. Ephrata (Pa.) Community Hospital began constructing a new $13 million ED. The current ED was designed for 16,000 annual ED visits; the hospital expects to see more than 32,000 ED patients this year.
5. Chestertown, Md.-based Chester River Health System is planning an ED expansion. The ED sees roughly 16,000 people annually, and the number of ED visits has increased by 6.8 percent so far this year.
6. UW Health Partners Watertown (Wis.) Regional Medical Center is planning a new ED and women's health unit. Last year, the hospital saw more than 19,000 ED and urgent care patients, although the current ED was designed to serve only 10,000 to 12,000 patients annually.
7. Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center began a $35 million ED renovation and expansion project. Patient visits to the ED have increased nearly 70 percent from 2005, growing to 110,484 annual visits last year, according to the report. The new facility will accommodate up to 120,000 annual ED visits.
8. Ocean Medical Center in Brick, N.J., broke ground on an $85 million ED expansion project. The current ED was built to serve 17,000 annual patient visits. Current ED volume, however, has exceeded 51,000 annual visits.
9. Lexington (N.C.) Medical Center, part of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Wake Forest Baptist Health, will begin a $1.8 million ED expansion in June. Last year, ED patient visits increased by 3,000, bringing total patient visits to nearly 35,000, according to the release.