Randallstown, Md.-based Northwest Hospital is getting a $6 million state-funded expansion and redesign of its emergency department, the Baltimore Banner reported June 27.
The renovations will include the addition of four triage rooms and another 2,500 square feet to the hospital to curb ED wait times and patient boarding. In March, Northwest Hospital had the longest average emergency department wait time for patients in the state at 4.5 hours, the outlet reported.
The renovations will group patients into four areas and streamline their flow using three care pathways:
- A rapid evaluation unit for noncritical patients.
- A triage channel for patients with urgent medical needs.
- An area for behavioral health patients that separates them from other patients and environments that might be triggering, like in an ordinary ED.
Renovations are expected to begin in early July and end in 2025, according to the Baltimore Banner.